THE Croke Park deal on pay and reform in the public service will be ratified this week by the country's biggest unions.

The issue will be decided by a vote of the Public Services Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions this Tuesday. Members of Siptu have backed the deal by an almost two-to-one majority while 77% of the Impact union voted in favour of it.

Impact, which has been involved in a long-running campaign of industrial disruption, has also halted that action for several months.

The agreement, which will be rubberstamped on Tuesday, has been welcomed by Taoiseach Brian Cowen who said it would "underpin stability".