Mr. John McKeon:

I can only repeat what I said earlier on and I take issue with some of what the Deputy said. I do not think that I have ever said that we determined anybody's employment on the basis of test cases and decided to apply that to everybody. I do think that I ever said that, to the best of my record. I know these accusations go back to 1995. I have looked at what I can look at. Certainly in my time that has not happened. I have been assured by the people who were involved at that time that this has never happened, and I can see no record or evidence of it. I am saying that my line has been consistent on that. For seven years at this committee, I have yet to get an example of a case that was determined in that way.

What we said previously, and what the Minister was referring to in that article and is what I also said previously, every case is examined on its merits.

We have not done this but there are cases where we might well do it. In a situation where a number of workers and just one employer such as a construction firm, but not across the sector, are in the same situation, we might, with the agreement of the workers and employer, determine that there are ten bricklayers and examine two or three of them. On the basis of that, we would then say that applied for that employer and those bricklayers. In each case, if the workers wanted, they could have a second view. That is what we have always said. There is no change in that.