Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister. I will start with the new Croke Park agreement. I welcome the move to try to achieve further savings. One issue that has been very difficult, particularly for young people and young graduates who are anxious to move into the public service, is the embargo. It has been in place for years. I was speaking to a senior member of the Garda recently who pointed out that it has been in place for four years. He said that if it continues for another two and there are two years training in Templemore, it will be close to a decade in which there will have been no new recruits. That will present all manner of very serious problems. The same can be said of all the services. Obviously, this hits the young more than others.

There are also individual examples. The Minister and I discussed one previously which involved a respite ward. It had to be closed because maternity leave was not exempted from the embargo. There is a systemic problem with this, particularly for the young. It is very damaging and it will follow that generation. Recent research from the IMF shows it will follow that generation for the rest of their lives. Will the Minister consider lifting the embargo to some degree as part of any renegotiation of the agreement?