Threatened Garda strike a gamechanger for Paschal Donohoe

Why was it fair that gardaí who were outside the fold get a €3,000 plus pay increase in January when others in the deal have to wait until September to get €1,000, asks political editor Daniel McConnell

Paschal Donohoe looks tired these days.

He had a bruising year in 2016. He got elected against the odds in a gutted Dublin Central constituency after losing two-thirds of his previous support base.

He played a central role in the Government formation talks over 70 days which saw Enda Kenny re-elected Taoiseach.

Then handed responsibility for probably the most challenging portfolio in Government, Mr Donohoe was made Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Yes, while there has been some extra money to spend, his main battle has been to contain the pent-up demand, primarily from public sectors who are increasingly noisy about wanting pay increases.

But the impact of a threatened strike by the country’s police force in November was a gamechanger.

At the 11th hour, the Government, as the employer, ended up before the Labour Court which ultimately recommended a number of new payments and allowances to officers.

Paschal Donohoe

The additional payments, costing €50m a year, were considerable and many seemed incongruous to the outside public.

But at the very least the Labour Court decision put the Government in a bind as it would inevitably lead to other unions within the Lansdowne Road Agreement demanding parity with the gardaí who are outside the collective pay deal.

Why was it fair that gardaí who were outside the fold get a €3,000 plus pay increase in January when others in the deal have to wait until September to get €1,000?

This is the dilemma now facing Mr Donohoe, caused by what he calls the Labour Court “anomaly”.

Will he have to bring all other public servants up to match the gardaí at a potential extra cost to the taxpayer of more than €1bn?

Or will he and his officials attempt to try and contain the anomaly to the gardaí, but just how likely is that.

Talks between Mr Donohoe and the unions to resolve this anomaly begin later this month and the stakes for this unstable minority Government.

It represents round one of a series of talks between the State and its employers this year. One senior trade union figure said the initial talks around the Garda deal should be resolved within two weeks, but the substantive talks over a replacement deal to Lansdowne Road is far, far more complicated.

On one hand, Mr Donohoe has to balance the grievances of public sector workers who feel they are long overdue better terms and conditions and also being true to the taxpayer, who has to foot the bill for whatever is agreed.

The publication of the John Horgan report into Garda pay showed average officers enjoy pay and pensions benefits each year of more than €100,000.

Such cold facts fly in the face of much of the heartrending rhetoric we heard from union leaders of officers being so poor that they had to sleep in their cars coming from and going to work.

Mr Horgan’s report, which Mr Donohoe has described as an “important element” in his considerations over what happens, has been predictably attacked by unions who have seen much of their thunder stolen.

The bottom line is that being employed by the State, on a full-time basis, remains a privileged position to occupy for two primary reasons. Firstly, the luxury of tenure of a public sector job is a comfort most private sector workers would love to have but rarely do, and secondly, the extraordinary generosity of the public sector pension system is the envy of many.

So, Mr Donohoe must marshal all of his considerable talents and not allow himself be swayed by the loud noises shouting his way. Rather he should rely upon the cold, hard facts if he is to achieve the equity he is striving for.