Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I am not in the business of renegotiating a deal that was reached through the public service arbitrator. If I were to do so, I would be setting a horrific precedent. It was clear during the frank discussion I had with the prison officers' executive, which was friendly on a personal level, that the position is as I have outlined. If the prison officers want me to consider a particular proposition that they consider to be fully faithful to the arbitrated settlement, in effect, I will do so. I would be happy to consider a proposition that improves the settlement, without doing violence to it.

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