Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I welcome the Minister of State's comments in favour of social partnership and I congratulate him on getting the timing exactly right. However, I wish to highlight one matter. Whereas the agreed positions of social partners should always be implemented, there are many precedents where agreement was not reached and the Government took action. On some occasions that action favoured the unions, while on others it favoured employers. Unless somebody has registered their disagreement in respect of an issue, the Minister of State would not be going against an agreed position.