Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

Last Tuesday morning, was a telephone call made to Mr. Peter McLoone on behalf of the Government to inform him that the Government had signed on for the measures which were contained in the proposals from social partnership, including the compulsory unpaid leave? I have my views on the logistical nightmare this provision would cause. As I understand it, these talks went on until 7 a.m. on Friday morning when it appears agreement was reached. With regard to the health service issues, the document clearly shows a recognition that numbers would decline in the years ahead against a background of reduced budgets and workforce numbers. It states the challenge, therefore, is not only to maintain the level, quality and safety of services, but to expand the range of services that can be easily accessed by patients and clients.

I refer to the Taoiseach's comment about providing more with less. There have always been serious difficulties in the health sector with regard to changes in rostering practices. Item No. 12 in the document refers to the introduction of an extended working day, covering the period 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., while item No. 13 refers to the introduction of five over seven rostering throughout the system. This would appear to be a pretty massive shift from the intransigence that was always shown within the health sector towards such change. I also understand that, during the negotiations, people in the education sector were actually offering new ideas to the Government. It appears that, for whatever political reason, these talks collapsed on Friday. I may be mistaken and I ask the Taoiseach to confirm it, but the union personnel say that Government had agreed the figures, that, from the perspective of the figures, their offers, in whatever way they were made up, met the demands of Government for 2010 and whatever bridging was to be there between 2010 and onwards was recognised.

It seems as if it was either internal politics or the impact of business outside saying this compulsory unpaid leave was a disaster or the reaction from the Taoiseach's own party at the meeting that seemed to cause a change of heart. Anyway, it is done now and it appears as if the social partnership model and structure that was in existence for 20 years, inadequate though it was in many respects, is now dead or certainly dead with this Government.

Will the Taoiseach confirm that an official call was made to Mr. McLoone to say that the Government had signed on for this proposal and it would be part of the process? It is obvious this would have included the support of the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance. Did the Government accept the figures put through by social partnership? Was the collapse on the basis of 2011 or 2012? In view of the fact that the Government has consistently said that a more effective and customer-orientated delivery of public services is required - I agree - how does the Government intend to proceed to deliver on major public service reform when the structure which has been used for 20 years by Government is now dead and buried, at least with this Government?

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