Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I completely agree with the Minister. It is extremely important for both sides that we have a deal of this nature because it will provide stability in the delivery of public services in the first instance. Of equal importance is that it will provide a level of justice for workers. Public sector workers have been a significant part of the front-line workforce during this pandemic, as we have often mentioned in this Chamber, and they cannot be left behind. They deserve to have economic security and to know their jobs are not left in a precarious position. I hope the Government does not let this matter slide as it would be neglectful to do so. In this instance, the State is the employer and it needs to deal with it in a timely fashion. My other concern is that during this pandemic, we are greatly relying on the public services and I would hate to see unrest as a result of a failure to reach an agreement. Is the Minister giving a commitment to do everything in his power to ensure a deal is reached?

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