Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It is important to point out that the education situation, where the ASTI recently accepted the agreement and the TUI rejected it, involves having to deal with that issue. That is on of the reasons some of the aspects on education have been delayed. We will be insisting that the agreements we reach will be implemented but there has been an IR issue in the background which must be dealt with.

With regard to the Croke Park agreement itself, it sets out the short-term, medium-term and longer-term issues that are being dealt with and the structural changes that must be implemented. All of the agreement, as negotiated, has been agreed in good faith and needs to be implemented in good faith.

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