Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

I listened careful to the Taoiseach's reply and noted he said we want to put our views forward on where we should go from here. What does the Taoiseach want from the meeting with the social partners? What views will he express on the way forward, as he sees it, given the circumstances in which we now find ourselves? Does the Taoiseach propose to inform the social partners that it is the Government's intention to cut public sector pay? If so, at what magnitude and above what level will the cuts apply?

Is the Taoiseach happy in general with the way in which social partnership has operated? Members on this side of the House have complained for some years that the last people to have had any information on what was happening within and around social partnership were the elected politicians, of all parties and none. Is the Taoiseach, having been involved with social partnership for a number of years, happy that its structure is such that it has the capacity to deliver? Although it has been very helpful for many years in stabilising a strategy for productivity and keeping at bay industrial unease, we are now in very different circumstances. Can the current structure of social partnership deliver what the Taoiseach believes is necessary? Will he comment on this?

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