The Government has invited public sector unions to talks in a bid to resolve the current row over pay restoration following a Labour Court recommendation that awarded up to €4,000 a year to gardaí.
The first phase of talks dealing with what the Government called "anomalies" arising from the recommendation must be concluded by the end of January.
Separately, talks will get under way in the middle of the year on a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement.
The LRA was negotiated to reverse pay and pension cuts for public service workers imposed since 2008. It extends the Haddington Road Agreement until 2018.
Under the LRA, most government employees will receive a €1,000 pay rise in September.
However, the recent Labour Court garda recommendation costing €50m a year infuriated public service unions who saw it as rewarding groups that had rejected the LRA.
The Public Service Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions had demanded accelerated pay talks beginning by February, as well as accelerated pay restoration, and has welcomed today's invitation to talks saying the discussions would provide a platform for improvements in the terms of the LRA.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe announced a two-phase process.
Talks restricted to what he called the "anomalies" arising from the garda recommendation will be completed by the end of January.
However, the Government will stick to its original time frame of commencing talks on a successor to Lansdowne Road in the early summer.
However, the minister refused to be drawn on the key union demand of whether there was money available for additional pay hikes in 2017 - and how they would be funded.
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SIPTU said it is to defer its public service ballot in response to the minister's invitation to talks and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions welcomed the decision to hold discussions.
The largest union in the civil service has given a cautious welcome to the invitation.
The Civil Public and Services Union said "tangible benefits must flow from the January discussions through not only an acceleration of the LRA payment due in September next but also progress on the restoration of unpaid hours, removal of lower entry pay points and the restoration of pay cuts for those below €50,000 a year".
Meanwhile, employers' group Ibec said the next public sector pay deal must reflect needs of the wider economy, not just public sector workers.
In a statement, it said it supports the move by Mr Donohoe to pursue a new collective pay agreement framework for the public sector but any new arrangement must reflect the needs of business and the wider economy, not just public sector workers, and must include taxation reform and new investment in infrastructure and public services.
The Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants said it welcomed the news.
AHCPS General Secretary Ciaran Rohan, who is also a member of the ICTU Public Services Committee, said: "We have been seeking an an earlier engagement for a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement for some time and we welcome the announcement by Minister Donohoe today that he intends to conclude these initial discussions by the end of January 2017."
IMPACT also welcomed the invitation to talks.
It had previously warned that if pay talks were not convened ahead of the Government's original schedule, the Lansdowne Road Agreement would be undermined.
