Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom comhghairdeas a ghabháil le Patricia King faoina ceapachán mar ard-rúnaí ICTU. Táim ag súil le bualadh le Patricia agus an cairdeas idir Shinn Féin agus an ICTU a fhorbairt. I wish Patricia King well on her recent appointment as ICTU ard-rúnaí.

The Taoiseach has outlined the way he will engage with the social partners and given us notice that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is working on a follow-up agreement to the Haddington Road agreement which is due to expire next year. It would be useful to get some indication of the likely direction the new agreement will take. In his contact with the social partners and others, has the Taoiseach discussed this matter?

The farming community, in particular small and hill farmers, in my constituency of Louth and elsewhere are very concerned about the future given the age profile in the sector. Many of our farmers are elderly or are becoming elderly and there are not enough incentives and tutorial supports etc. to bring young farmers into the agriculture industry. That industry has also been badly affected by the forced emigration which has taken place.

The Haddington Road agreement was opposed by many workers and there were varying degrees of industrial action across the State. In fact, in 2013 Sinn Féin criticised the way the financial emergency measures in the public interest were rushed through the Dáil by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin. We said that union members should have been given more time to decide on the Haddington Road agreement. If he agrees that there was confusion and upset, can the Taoiseach set out some propositions to prevent that and spare people the muddle that surrounded the conclusion to the previous negotiations? More importantly, can he guarantee that those on average pay scales will be protected and that any cuts will come from the top?

When it gets on message, the Government talks about the success of the economic recovery, but it is a two tier recovery. The Taoiseach acknowledges that it is very fragile and that many people have not felt its benefits. That is hardly surprising given the alarming and appalling impact of austerity policies on families and communities. I have asked many times whether the Government equality proofs any of its proposals and to my knowledge it does not. Poverty levels are at a shamefully high level, especially for children, while we see stealth taxes, including water and family home taxes, the ongoing crisis with more than 500 people on trolleys in hospital corridors this morning and difficulties in education. The Taoiseach ignores the fact that 500,000 citizens have been forced to emigrate.

If he is so confidant about the recovery, the Taoiseach might comment on recent suggestions by the leader of SIPTU, Mr. Jack O'Connor, who called on the Government to tear up the Haddington Road agreement. At an event at the weekend to mark the death of James Larkin, Mr. O'Connor went on to say that his union would seek pay increases of 5% across the public and private sectors and a minimum living wage of €11.45 per hour. Since the recession, the Government has imposed almost €2 billion in wage and pension cuts on the public sector. As such, is the Government prepared to enter into discussions with the trade union leadership on a replacement for the Haddington Road agreement and can the Taoiseach provide an update on what the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform announced when he said he was working on a follow-up agreement?

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