Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I welcome the Taoiseach's remarks that he has been involved in and helpful on the Greencore issue. When I met the workers concerned ten days ago, however, they told me they had met the Taoiseach but were completely unaware of anything he had done for them. What has the Taoiseach done and does he believe there will be an early settlement of this matter?

The Labour Court recommendation has been interpreted, reinterpreted and interpreted again and, on each occasion, has come down on the side of the workers concerned. Yet Greencore will not deal with the matter. The Taoiseach obviously has new information. It was only last Friday week that I met the workers and they did not know anything about him having caused any progress to be made.

What are the Taoiseach's concerns for social partnership in the wider sense in the context of the price rises we have seen in recent times, including this very week and month? Under the new partnership agreement, workers throughout the country will receive a 10% pay increase over 27 months. Inflation is running at 4.9%, however, and is likely at least to exceed 5.5% this month. There has been a spate of price increases relating to gas, electricity and foodstuffs, including, as promulgated by IBEC yesterday, various products in the inflation shopping basket. Notwithstanding the abolition of the groceries order, prices are still rising rapidly in the economy. Is the Taoiseach concerned about the impact this will have on the modest pay provisions of the new agreement?

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