Clare Daly (Dublin North, United Left) | Oireachtas source

These were the issues which were being sought to be addressed, but the problem is that SIPTU has not been asked to engage in this process or to contact the panel. In fact, while it is the only body to have put in a submission, meetings have been held from which SIPTU has been excluded. That is a recipe for disaster given that the workers whose living standards are being impacted by the airport fire and police service and the members of the DAA are primarily organised by SIPTU. The Minister may be misinformed by his Department. Since his Secretary General took the initiative at the start of December, there has been a meeting held under the auspices of ICTU on 16 January. While we accept that around Christmas people will have been away, it does not explain why SIPTU was not invited to that meeting. I note that 90% of the workers have voted against the proposal and they are still not happy. What happens there has yet to be determined. If the Minister is serious about resolving these issues, I ask him to go back and ask the DAA and SAA to lift the embargo. There is supposedly a process, poor and all as it is, and the Minister is the boss of the DAA and SAA on foot of 100% State ownership. If the embargo is not lifted, there cannot be meaningful talks to resolve this.

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