There is still a window of opportunity for the POA to come back to the negotiating table and adopt a more realistic approach to the discussions with a view to reaching a mutually acceptable solution. However, time is fast running out and if the Prison Officers Association is unwilling to agree reasonable terms for the operation of prisons on an economically sustainable basis before 1 January I will have no option but to proceed with the decisions approved by Government. The responsibility for the choice, which must be made, rests entirely with the association.