Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

Is it not the case that Towards 2016 was a poor deal for workers, particularly as the increases they will receive under the agreement will be quickly frittered away by inflation? Does the Taoiseach not accept that this has already been demonstrated in the inflation figures for August that have increased to 4.5% from 4.2% in July and given that Towards 2016 offered workers 10% over 27 months which was working out at annualised increases of just 4.4%? Will the Taoiseach accept that already the August figures demonstrate that has been surpassed? Does he not recognise that Irish workers are already overstretched by excessive mortgages and the ever increasing cost of fuel and energy and that he has failed to do anything over the course of his tenure or to provide in Towards 2016 any measure that will seriously grapple with the ever-spiralling cost of houses, homes, for ordinary people? Does he not accept that workers will find themselves in ever more straitened circumstances as a result of the increasing cost of housing and of energy costs, to which I have already referred? Can he confirm that there is no mechanism in Towards 2016 to counter the effect of prolonged and increased inflation? Why is that the case, given that previous agreements contained such a review clause and, given that if I remember correctly in 2000, the millennium year, that particular clause was invoked in response to unexpected high inflationary figures? Will the Taoiseach agree there is no provision in Towards 2016 for an ability to pay clause in order to counter the inability to pay clause that is clearly there in the interest and protection of employers? What is the situation applying to those employees within companies and services that are bounding ahead on the labour of those employed? What will the Government do to protect workers in this position? Will this be addressed by the social partners and will the agreement be reopened to address these very serious issues?

On the point I made about rampant inflation, particularly in the area of housing, will the Taoiseach outline how he proposes to deliver the unfulfilled promise of the last agreement, which was to provide desperately needed homes and the introduction of Part V of the Planning and Development Act? Does he recognise that the 2002 amendment of the 2000 Act allowed property developers to get off the hook regarding their responsibility to provide 20% social and affordable housing? What does he now propose to do? Will he restore Part V of the Act to its original intent and thereby seriously address this issue?

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