Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will be very brief and then I will let the Deputy comment. First, I will clarify a couple of points that I asked the RSA delegation. In the RSA's background information that accompanied its opening statement, it referred to the fact that the waiting time was 15 weeks and, as of this morning, the waiting time is 14.9 weeks. I must rely on the information the RSA has given me. The waiting period has reduced from 30 weeks, to 24 weeks, to 15 weeks and the aim is to have a waiting period of ten weeks, which the RSA thinks it will have by June.

We asked about permanency versus temporary and that there are about 130 permanent testers. Without committing to doing it, RSA anticipates that it has between 165 and 175 permanent testers. That is what it seeks sanction for. I do not know the ins and outs of why the RSA has had to let people go. We did not get into that because we had literally reached the last two or three minutes of our meeting. I asked the RSA delegation whether that would be 130 permanent jobs and between 30 and 40 testers on a rolling contract. They said no; they would anticipate having between 165 and 175 permanent testers, which I think is all of the things being asked for by Fórsa. I only had a few minutes in which to interrogate the RSA about the matter. We can bring the RSA back in and correspond with it about the opening statement from Fórsa. I think the commitment by RSA is positive news. The points and case made by Fórsa are very valid. I feel very sympathetic towards people who are being let go while, at the same time, other people are being asked to work overtime. I also made the point earlier that long-term overtime is not sustainable from the points of view of work-live balance and risk of burn-out. Permanent overtime is no way for workers to live. I made those points based on Fórsa's opening statement and in the response I got to some of the points I put to the RSA delegation. I will allow Deputy Smith to comment ahead of my slot because he must go somewhere else.