The Renua Ireland political party has restated its opposition to public sector pay restoration.

During a studio debate on Newstalk FM on Tuesday (3^rd November), the party’s deputy leader, Billy Timmins TD, said that the party opposed public sector pay restoration on the grounds that it damaged Ireland’s competitiveness.

Mr Timmins declined to say whether or not the party would stick to the terms of the Lansdowne Road Agreement if the party was in Government after the next general election.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has said that the report of the expert group on low hours work “confirms what Congress and affiliated unions have been saying for some years on this issue.” The study, which was commissioned by the Government and produced by the University of Limerick (UL), looks at the prevalence of ‘zero hour’ contracts in Ireland.

The UL study has found the use of zero-hours contracts in Ireland is limited, but has identified the emergence of a type of employment called ‘if and when’ employment contracts.

Congress General Secretary Patricia King said: “We have consistently lobbied successive governments to have current legislation amended, in order to provide enhanced protection for workers on low-hour contracts, the majority of whom are low paid, female and whose voice is not often heard."