Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

We all know persons who have been in this position. It is not possible - the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Government are correct - to retrospectively address these issues but in the first place, I cannot understand how anybody ever allowed a position to develop whereby legally binding agreements were entered into which were unsustainable. They could not be discharged and they could be upheld unless the integrity, sustainability and soverignty of the State was undermined. Of course, it was fine if there was only one or two of them, but these were wholesale - all over the place.

We need to recognise that, whether we like it or not, such a practice that became popular during the Celtic tiger days is costing the country jobs, forcing people out of employment and forcing employers to honour upward-only rent reviews. It is incredible. The banking, legal and property sectors demanded it. I think it is unconstitutional. That should never have been allowed.

There are many issues that we could refer to in the course of this debate that go far outside the industrial relations element that is the core of the issue. From our experience over the past couple of years of all of the representations we have received on both sides on this issue, it behoves us to recognise that we have a role to play and that we must adjust and adapt to a new and emerging situation which is difficult for many. It is not that we are immune to the difficulties faced by the people of the country, both at employee and employer levels. It is a fact of life that we know the position and must do something about it. It may not seem at any particular time to be overly accommodating to one side or the other, but one way or the other, we must adapt. That is the theme of what I had to say.

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