The Taoiseach says he sticks by the Lansdowne Road Pay Agreement – despite some unions and opposition parties declaring it to be dead.

Enda Kenny says the Government will respond to pay demands by public servants – with a strategy that looks at the entirety of the public service.

The issue’s been discussed at Cabinet and the Public Expenditure Minister will meet with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions this evening.

The Taoiseach’s told the Dáil that all the pay demands simply can’t be met at one time: “Lansdowne Road has proven to be a central tenant of public pay in the country.

“We stand by Lansdowne Road, the sealings has been set out we do not have the moneys that are being demanded.

“And so there is a need in everyone’s interests to have a well managed process and strategy by which these things can be discussed in detail, and a pathway forward negotiated.”