Partnership agreement - Deal must deliver on public sector

THE course is finally set for Ireland’s economic and social progress to continue apace, following the success of long running and difficult negotiations in finally hammering out a new national partnership agreement.

Yesterday’s clinching of the pay deal optimistically dubbed Towards 2016, comes after five hard-fought months of wrangling and is particularly welcome since it promises to ensure relative stability as the platform for growth and higher productivity at a time when interest rates are rising and global economic conditions are becoming tougher.

Now that employers and unions have slotted the last pieces of the jigsaw into place, it only remains for workers to ratify the deal and for Government and farmers to reach agreement on demands for a better deal on agriculture.