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

Taking up the point made by Deputy John Browne, the Government has no intention of cutting across the work of Kieran Mulvey and the LRC over the coming weeks. People who are experts in the area and have a track record of bringing people together to work out a solution need time and space. It is the fervent hope of the Government that we can still find some agreement.

I am a great believer in the principle that jaw-jaw is always better than war-war. At a time of such uncertainty, the last thing the country needs is industrial warfare. I recognise the extraordinary sacrifices of public servants in this country. Some 30,000 people have left the service over the course of the past few years. The total public sector pay and pensions bill four years ago was €20 billion; from this year, it will be €17.5 billion. Much of that was done by the previous Government.

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