There will be no compulsory transfer of local authority staff to Irish Water when it becomes the single national water authority next year. 

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Michael McGrath has said he hopes further engagement between his officials and public service unions will lead to a pay agreement by the end of this month.

Ireland’s councils lag behind local authorities in Europe, Britain and Northern Ireland when it comes to job evaluation, according to Fórsa. 

Fórsa has learned that some local authorities are tabling blended work policies with remote work restricted to two days a week. 

Fórsa has broadly welcomed a new national strategy on domestic, gender and sexual based violence as a step in the right direction. The union has also called on the Government to introduce statutory paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

The spread of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not expected to lead to net job losses. But it will mean that certain jobs will disappear, to be replaced with new employment opportunities over time.