Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

That was an interesting answer to a question I did not get to introduce. The Minister has had to answer a lot of questions today about the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland and the Garda Síochána unions that are outside the Lansdowne Road agreement. It is my understanding that olive branches are being offered to Garda representatives and some attempts are being made to deal with the concerns of teachers who did not sign up to the agreement. When the Minister says no provision has been made for any extra payment for workers outside the agreement, it begs the question of why he is bothering to talk to them at all. If they agree to come into the tent and say "Yes, Sir; No, Sir; three bags full, Sir", what will happen then? What is the plan if members of ASTI accept all the terms of the Lansdowne Road agreement and agree to continue to do supervisory duties for nothing, as they did until 30 June under the Haddington Road agreement, or if gardaí agree to make some concessions? According to the Minister, there is no extra money to provide for that eventuality.

The fundamental point remains that the Government was well aware there were groups of workers who remained outside the Lansdowne Road agreement and it should have made provision to deal with that. Every trade union is entitled to a free vote on provisions under a certain deal. Teachers have given 36 hours of work for free per year as per the Haddington Road arrangements and are now being told by the Government they will be isolated and made an example of. How will the Minister deal with that? Ultimately, he will have to sit down and speak to the teachers.

See this speech in context