Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

One expects that the communication channels will remain open. No one is suggesting they should ever be closed. There is no big deal in communication avenues or channels between Government and the social partners being open. What will be the process of engagement, if there is to be any between the social partners and Government? The Taoiseach needs to let us know that one way or the other.

The Taoiseach referenced in his earlier reply that the Tánaiste's comments were made in the context of his address to SIPTU. Was it a sop to SIPTU or a sop to the Tánaiste? One gets the impression that the Fine Gael side of this Government wants nothing more to do with social partnership. The Labour Party has a more nuanced view in this regard, which is the reason for all this verbiage and lack of clarity in regard to the nature of the relationship or how the process of engagement is to be structured.

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