Shane Ross (Independent)

I endorse some of the cries for a national effort, whether one calls it national government or solidarity among the parties. There is a sense of urgency in this House, among both Government and Opposition, about the emergency situation we face. In Northern Ireland, when they were trying to make the big leap they said they would all jump together. If we are prepared to make sacrifices, it is important that we all jump together. In that light, I ask the Leader to ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and National Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to come to this House to tell us why the workforce in the ESB is being given a 3.5% rise, at a time when unemployment has soared to 326,000 and everybody else is told to make a sacrifice on pay.