David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----for which I have rightly campaigned. The people of Waterford deserve proper schools, hospitals and infrastructure, as every city and county does. Contrary to what the Minister said, though, we costed every proposal in our alternative budget to the cent.

When the Minister states that the issue of equal pay for equal work is not going away but that we need to focus on improved public services, what those who have entered the system since 2011 and are being treated differently and discriminated against hear is that the recovery of public services must be on their shoulders. That is not fair. I had this conversation with the Minister yesterday. Even now, his Department is unable to cost a return to a single-tier pay structure. If the Minister is not prepared to agree to the principle of equal pay for equal work, will he give me a commitment to the effect that, by next year's budget, his Department will be able to cost for my party a restoration to a single-tier pay structure?

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