Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I do not intend to re-enter negotiations with prison officers. There will be no more discussions. If they wish to make a proposal, they can put it to me in writing and I will decide whether to accept it. I expect any proposal that is made by prison officers to command acceptance among them. I will not negotiate with them for a third time.

The measures I am taking are proceeding. I assure every prison officer that I am pursuing a certain course of action. The officers were told by their executive that I would proceed with that course of action if they rejected the settlement. If prison officers want to call this process to a halt by producing a proposal that does not do violence to the arbitrated settlement and does not involve an increase in expenditure, I will consider such a proposal. I will accept such an agreement if I agree with prison officers that it represents an improvement on the existing settlement. That is as fair as I can be without destroying the State's industrial relations machinery.

See this speech in context