HOWLIN HOPES TO BEGIN TALKS TO REVERSE PAY CUTS NEXT MONTH
The Public Expenditure Minister says he hopes to begin restoring both pay cuts and pension cuts to public servants in the coming years.
Brendan Howlin says he hopes to begin talks next month on how to reverse the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest legislation that deliver 2.2 billion euro in savings to the exchequer.
He has again warned that all of this cannot be done in one go, and will be staged over time.
Minister Howlin says there is already agreement to reverse cuts to those on over 65,000 euro up to 2018, and he wants to focus on those at the lower end of the pay scale.
“My own views in relation to whether it should be a flat rate reduction or a percentage, I obviously want to hear the views of all the public sector unions” he said.
“But it is my view – and has been my view – that those on the lowest levels of income should benefit disproportionately more, and I’ll try in the negotiations to achieve that objective” he added.
