Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

First of all, the Taoiseach is telling us that he still wants to achieve €1.3 billion in the budget. He does not know whether he will get an agreement with the trade unions between now and budget day on 9 December because he has left the negotiations far too late. Second, he has not been able to tell me what will happen if he secures an agreement on paper before budget day, but that agreement is subsequently rejected in a ballot. He has now boxed himself into a situation where the ballot on any agreement that is concluded will take place in the aftermath of the budget. Third, the Taoiseach is also telling us that while savings will be made in 2010, the impact on services arising from those savings may not take place until 2011, 2012 or whenever the staff concerned decide to take the unpaid leave. That would appear to compromise the Taoiseach's prospects of securing longer-term reform in the public services in the years ahead.

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