Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

Faced with historic industrial action by nurses, midwives and psychiatric nurses, is it not time to repeal the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act and acknowledge that, when rents are increasing by 15% per annum, when there are record corporation tax receipts and when we are in economic recovery, it is the Taoiseach's ideological opposition to workers of all kinds, including those in the public sector, obtaining any increase in their living standards that is about to give rise to this action being taken?

The Taoiseach says we cannot afford to pay nurses or teachers. I would add that two out of three of their unions have also said they are going to take strike action and the country could be plunged into further chaos because of the Government. The nurses' action is completely just. It is a completely different era now from ten years ago and they have suffered ten years of austerity. They are not and should not be willing to do it any longer.

See this speech in context