Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

I accept that, but he worked with the company ten years ago and what influence he would have on Mr. Rothwell or any of his colleagues now is irrelevant.

The company states that it has a serious problem with its cost base. It is in all our interests that be addressed urgently. I urge the company, as I would any company that has a problem with its cost base, to work with the unions, to engage realistically over a period of weeks with the support of the industrial relations machinery of the State and agree on measures to protect the company's interests while honouring the terms of Sustaining Progress.

I do not have an issue what Deputy Rabbitte said. Where I do have an issue is if one is a member of IBEC and negotiates Sustaining Progress, which has been dramatically successful in preventing strikes in recent years, the minute one has a problem one tears up the agreement, ignores the normal industrial relations channel and does not turn up at the Labour Court. The reason I have not called——

See this speech in context