Mr. Robert Watt:

There has been a very small number of cases of unrest. There was a strike by ASTI members in secondary schools but I do not think any other public servants have gone out on strike in recent years, though there may have been strike notices. There were issues with Luas and other drivers but the secondary teachers represented by ASTI were the only example I can think of in the public service. As the economy has recovered, people's expectations change as do their perceptions about what the State can afford. They see unemployment falling and wage growth in the private sector again and public servants feel they should benefit from the upturn in the economy. They had very significant cutbacks in pay during the crisis and average pay reductions for teachers, gardaí etc. were between 10% and 15%, with more significant decreases for those at higher levels. People legitimately have an expectation of getting some of this back and that has led to greater debate on how we manage resources to meet those expectations.