Government warns unions it will not agree new public sector pay deal 'at any cost'

Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers said he wanted trade unions to engage in talks to reach 'consensus' amid threat of industrial action

Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers: 'We want to see an intensification of engagement and to come to an agreement with the public sector unions, as we have in terms of the other pay agreements.'

Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers has warned trade unions the Government will not sign up to a new pay agreement “at any cost”.

The Fianna Fáil deputy leader also hit back at Fine Gael TDs' criticism over justice minister Jim O’Callaghan’s showdown with solicitors over proposed new fees, saying it was up to “members of the Oireachtas [if] they want to be advocates for particular interest groups”.

The public sector pay deal introduced under the last Government expired on June 30, with no agreement struck.

Unions said last month there was “no basis” for public sector pay talks and suggested they would ballot for industrial action.

At Government Buildings just hours after the pay deal expired, Mr Chambers urged everyone to get around the table to strike a deal.

“We want to see further engagement happen, and to try and reach an agreement quickly,” he said.

“We won't be agreeing a public sector pay agreement at any cost. We have fiscal parameters, which matter. We've had significant growth in public sector numbers over the last five years, 70,000 additional people working in the public service. 

We have accommodated significant pay agreements, and correctly so, that people are paid and remunerated fairly, equitably, and sustainably in the context of significant economic uncertainty.

“We want to see an intensification of engagement and to come to an agreement with the public sector unions, as we have in terms of the other pay agreements.”

Mr Chambers said no side should be setting “preconditions” ahead of the talks, and previous agreements have been built on “consensus”.

Row over free legal aid fees

Separately, Mr Chambers has said he backs justice minister Jim O’Callaghan in his ongoing row with solicitors over free legal aid fees.

Solicitors are continuing to withdraw from the scheme in opposition to the introduction of a new €525 flat fee.

At the Oireachtas justice committee on Tuesday, several Fine Gael politicians, including Paula Butterly and Barry Ward, were critical of Mr O’Callaghan. Mr Ward said Mr O’Callaghan had shown a “severe lack of understanding of how the courts work”.

Mr Chambers said it was up to Oireachtas members if they “want to be advocates for particular interest groups”, as he argued Mr O’Callaghan "understands the legal system as well as anybody”.

“I think he's absolutely correct in pursuing the reform,” Mr Chambers said.

“He has my full support in doing it. We've seen significant [spending] increases in the overall allocation to [the free legal aid] scheme over the last number of years.

“Like other parts of expenditure, it has to be sustainable in the long term, and this is an important reform to do that.”

Infrastructure delivery

Mr Chambers was announcing further changes to support accelerated infrastructure delivery. One aim of the will “tackle opposition and deliver infrastructure faster by better identifying and communicating the benefits of critical projects”.

“People need to know what's in it for them, and this framework speaks directly to that,” he said.

“We know that NIMBYism, opposition to important projects and the weaponisation of the judicial review system are all slowing infrastructure delivery.”

He said the cost of not acting will also be communicated, including the consequences of not progressing projects.