Croke Park deal means increments argument will always get ignored

The Government would appear to have two choices — continue to pay public service increments of €180m or look for some other way of completing the €3.5bn in savings sought through the Croke Park deal.

Transport Minister Leo Varadkar’s suggestion earlier this week that the increments be deferred for a year reignited a debate that raged just before last year’s budget.

Just as then, the same premise applies now. A cut in the increments would, as far as unions are concerned, constitute a cut in pay, particularly for younger, less well-off workers. In that regard it would also constitute a breach of the Croke Park deal on public service reform which, at this stage, guarantees against any pay cuts.