Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I join with Deputy Kenny and the Taoiseach in paying tribute to the patient and diligent work of the Labour Relations Commission in apparently securing a settlement of the Irish Ferries dispute. However, I would be very cautious about claiming this as a great achievement for social partnership. The minimum wage, we are told, will now apply on the vessels and 97% of the workers will be made redundant so I would be slow to claim this as some kind of achievement or suggest that it can be confined to maritime industries. The unions presumably made this settlement when faced with a company that was willing to close if they did not agree. We will debate the matter on another day.

There was no evidence in anything the Taoiseach said that he has any appreciation of how taxpayers, who contribute their taxes to the Exchequer, view €195 million of their money going down the tubes while the Taoiseach makes glib remarks about health board members and so on.

See this speech in context