Industrial relations unrest could have been avoided, says Fianna Fáil

Fianna Fáil has said that the current industrial relations unrest in the public sector could have been avoided if the Government took action.

Party spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform Dara Calleary said that if a commission on public pay - due to begin its work in the New Year - had been established earlier, it would have calmed unions concerns.

His comments come after Gardaí cancelled their strike, teachers downed tools and 10,000 community-sector workers are threatening to ballot on industrial action.

Deputy Calleary said that procrastination on the issue has lead to a creation of a vacuum.

"When we signed the confidence in supply agreement, back in May, we wanted the establishment of a public service pay commission as part of that," he said.

"And we envisioned that the Public Service Pay Commission would do some context-setting for those talks, and that those talks would then happen in 2017.

"Unfortunately, the Government has long-fingered the establishment of the Public Service Pay Commission, it was only actually announced about 10 days ago, and what we have no is a vacuum."