Shane Ross (Dublin Rathdown, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I cannot spell it out more clearly. Both sides have used those words. The Deputy is saying she does not believe one but she believes the other. I happen to believe both; I think they both genuinely mean what they say about this. I think this will lead to them talking at some stage. If people, either on the union or management side, have said what they want prior to coming together that is fair enough, but let them come to the table with a clean sheet. Let them come together and say what their position is. It will then be in the public arena and one cannot withdraw what one has said in the public arena. Before they sit down there should be no preconditions in the sense there is nothing to stop them coming to the table. That is all we are looking for. It is very simple. I can castigate either side for making demands in advance because it does not help the industrial relations situation. I will not do that because that is what has happened. Let them get down and talk to the Labour Court or the WRC now and forget about what they said in the past. It does not really matter. Much of this is just positioning.

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