Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Minister still has not really dealt with the specific question I asked about increments. He has made a general argument and wheeled out the usual talk about fantasy economics. We can both trade insults forever but I am asking a question about increments. We have already dealt with the argument about pay and now we are talking about increments. This is about the Minister continuing to give to himself the power to withhold increments and I do not believe that is justified. I do not believe it was justified back then but we can set that aside. What justification is there now for the Minister giving himself the power to withhold increments if people do not come to a particular agreement with him? It is interesting that the Minister used the word "discipline", particularly given that he mentioned earlier that he comes from a trade union family. He is now talking about disciplining trade unionists and workers.