Senior civil servants have voted overwhelmingly to back the Croke Park public sector pay and reform agreement.
The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants representing 3,200 senior civil servants voted by a margin of 85.5% (1,936 votes) in favour, with 14.5% (330 votes) against.
The result was in line with the recommendation of acceptance from the union's executive. Turnout was 72%.
The AHCPS is the second union to vote in favour of the deal.
Earlier this week, the Public Service Executive Union, which represents mid ranking civil servants, backed the agreement.
Other unions are currently balloting on the agreement, though the final ballot results will not emerge until the middle of June.
The chances of the Croke Park deal being ratified received a significant boost yesterday when the largest public sector union, IMPACT, decided to recommend acceptance, following a series of clarifications of the original agreement.
Its executive had previously said it was unable to recommend acceptance because of its implications for the health sector, and the possibility that the Government could walk away from the deal if the budget deteriorated further.
However, the union's Central Executive Committee reversed its position following the issuing of a set of clarifications by facilitators of the agreement Kieran Mulvey and Kevin Foley.
It also followed a Labour Court recommendation which has resolved IMPACT's dispute with the Health Service Executive over administrators who were refusing to process crucial financial data.
General Secretary designate Shay Cody said the Labour Relations Commission clarifications over pay and the so-called Government get-out clause were instrumental to the IMPACT position.
IMPACT will now commence its ballot on the Croke Park deal next week.
