Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is no one's right, be it the Government or public sector unions, to lay down such preconditions in the context of discussions around a table. I am taking the Deputy's word, as I did not attend the discussion today that she mentioned. I am not sure whether it was a public or private engagement or whether just the Deputy was briefed. We will wait to see what others have to say. In the first instance, if anyone knows anything about talks with preconditions, I suspect it is Deputy McDonald's party, given the length of time it took to reach an agreement in Northern Ireland.

This is an open engagement. We are ambitious for these talks, as the country must find savings. If other parties to the talks are setting down such conditions, I have not heard of them thus far. Where other professions, for example, teaching, have seen new recruitment streams to deal with the financial crisis and to give people experience and the opportunity to work in this country, we must show such flexibility across the public service.

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