Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

It seems the Government and the unions were within touching distance of concluding an agreement which would not only have provided the savings but would have delivered public service reform, a better deal for the public in terms of delivery of services and industrial peace in the time ahead.

At best, it is incompetent that the Government could not conclude that agreement and at worst it is devious. The bottom line is not what the Taoiseach said but rather that he has a Minister for Finance who is now so anxious to get his hands on the Taoiseach's job that he was prepared to sink this -----

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