David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is it the Minister's intention to punish trade unions, including ASTI, that have not signed up to the Lansdowne Road agreement? Will these unions continue to be threatened with the use of the financial emergency measures in the public interest legislation?

I welcome the changes to the payment of allowances to newly recruited fire-fighters. Could this mechanism be used by other categories of workers in the public sector? This issue is not addressed in the Lansdowne Road agreement. Is the Minister suggesting that workers use the agreement's mechanisms to deal with these issues? I am not referring to fire-fighters but other categories of workers who also have legitimate issues regarding the payment of allowances.

See this speech in context