Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I acknowledge that Deputy Timmins made suggestions with a view towards helping. However, escalating the conflict with the trade union would not necessarily help. I agree with him that the union should give serious consideration to reviewing and reversing its position on overtime and the taking in of temporary staff. Many of the temporary staff are people who have been employed over the years in this capacity. It is strange, to put it no stronger than that, for a trade union, at this particular time, to take a view that employing additional staff is a wrong thing to do.

I do not agree with Deputy Timmins that simply blaming the paycut policy of the Government is a solution. This is a reality which we all face. Of course, I have no doubt I would make the same point if I were sitting across the House.

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