Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

I have indicated already that the Government has accepted the Croke Park agreement. We will live up to our side of it. As I have indicated to the House, there is conditionality in that regard. We want an array of options available to us to ensure the review is truly comprehensive. I want people to think outside the box with ideas that I am happy to bring to the unions and to the management. I have begun my discussions with the implementation group in the abstract in terms of saying we will engage with it in regard to the outcome of the comprehensive review of expenditure. I have a simple view on this matter. Every citizen of Ireland - public servant and private worker - has an interest in this country succeeding and we all have an interest in getting the best value we can for the tax we spend.

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