Darragh O'Brien (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)

Whether Deputy Coveney likes it, we have seen employment in Ireland double from 1 million to 2 million in 20 years. Many things contributed to this achievement but one I would like to single out is social partnership. Before the late 1980s, businesses and workers faced continuing uncertainty, strike action was the norm and for employees to receive decent terms and conditions they had to enter into local bargaining with employers. This situation led to high unemployment, economic stagnation and massive uncertainty for employers and employees in the private and public sector. Social partnership will continue to be one of the main pillars of our economy and will assist Ireland in coming through these global difficult economic times. It was the foresight of successive Fianna Fáil Governments that led to social partnership at a national level becoming the norm, ridding the country of millions of days and euro wasted due to industrial action.

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