Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy has asked a number of questions. First, in regard to the monitoring apparatus for the new Haddington Road agreement, Deputies opposite were quite critical of the monitoring of the last one. I thought it was a good monitoring system because it gave quantifiable savings and some of those were externally audited again by a firm of auditors. I am open to suggestions in that regard. The last monitoring system was exclusively in-house in that it involved the unions and the management of the public service. I do not know whether some external person might be better, but I am willing to hear any ideas in this regard.

On the ASTI dispute, the union is the only one outside the agreement. We cannot allow the Haddington Road agreement to unravel. It is a critical part of the economic projections on the road to recovery. ASTI members understand that and I would hope we would have some engagement. It will be a matter primarily for the Minister for the Education and Skills to ensure the ASTI is brought within the fold. That would be in its members' interests.

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