Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

During the negotiations, why did the Government leave it so late before it proposed the public service pension levy? Surely the Taoiseach realised the unions could not have run with such a proposition. How does he respond to the view, which I have heard expressed by many people, that the Government made a conscious decision not to be serious about trying to reach agreement with the trade unions during the talks? How does he respond to the view, which has considerable support, that the Government had taken comfort from an already indicated IBEC agreement on the measures involved and decided, with the support of many in the media — not least the Independent Group which was in a full flow tirade of abuse directed at the public service and the trade unions — to hell with it, it would run with it, go for broke and let the negotiations collapse? Will the Taoiseach give us his view on these charges? Will he confirm that the social partnership process has been seriously damaged as a result of the collapse of the negotiations and that if it is to be rebuilt — this is an important point — the public service pension levy will have to be revisited?

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