Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

The choice the Taoiseach is faced with now is between going down the route of confrontation – I know there are people encouraging him to go that route but that would be a disaster. We are already seeing considerable signs of the degree of conflict to which it will lead. We are beginning to hear quite disturbing noises from some of the Taoiseach's own people. A Minister described the relationship between two sets of workers in this country, namely, those in the private sector and those in the public sector as being in a state of civil war. That is not the kind of language that is conducive to getting co-operation and agreement on what needs to be done.

I hear it said all over the country that there is an opportunity for the Government to get people to pull together. That is preferable to having people ripping each other apart, as is being encouraged. That will require, not discussions between departmental officials and some of the public service trade unions but the Taoiseach and his Ministers directly engaged in talks to seek an agreement on national recovery. I have outlined to the Taoiseach the things that should form the pillars on which that national recovery plan should be built. He has that opportunity now. There is not a great deal of time in which he can do it, because the budget is approaching and some of the threatened industrial action is fast approaching. I again invite the Taoiseach to take that approach to try to reach a national agreement rather than to take the route of conflict and strife, which is not good for anyone. I thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for permitting me to ask the question.

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