Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)

Does the Taoiseach regret having entered into this recent pay agreement under social partnership given that any increases will be taken away by increases in taxation? Does he agree it makes a total farce of the situation that in order to meet the targets set, he must reduce services other than pay? Cutting services to the public will make more public servants redundant because they will not be available, or needed, to provide the services. The whole situation is contradictory.

Does the Taoiseach agree that the sensible thing to do is to ask for a two year pay freeze rather than have this ongoing situation of increasing taxation to make up for the pay increases and of cutting services which makes more public servants redundant?

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