Alex White (Labour)

Every possible effort should be made to avert the strike planned for Monday, 30 March. It is not enough for people to accuse the trade unions of sabotage, as has been done in some quarters. The only thing to do is to act along the lines suggested by Senator O'Toole where the Taoiseach and the Government engage with the representatives of tens of thousands of Irish workers and employees about the uncertainty, fear and anger that exists about the current situation.

That anger and frustration can only have been added to by two more events: the extraordinary arrangement Mr. McCaughey appears to have made and the continuing controversy surrounding the bonus paid to Mr. Fingleton. What impact does the Minister for Finance think those failures have on the outlook of ordinary workers across the State? People feel they have no other option but to take industrial action. They are wrong, however, because they have another option — I understand their believing they have no choice but to take strike action on Monday. In those circumstances, the Government must act now to ensure a seriously damaging general strike is averted next Monday. I ask the Leader to communicate directly to the Taoiseach and his Government colleagues that view, which is certainly my party's view.

Serious action needs to be taken today but, as seems likely, it will not be through social partnership, which appears either to have been paused or set aside completely, although I see no reason for that. Of course it is a matter for the Government to deal with the economy and make all the necessary decisions which can be debated in this House. I accept that we live in a democracy, but that does not mean the Taoiseach does not have the power or the responsibility to engage with the representatives of employees across the State. In the public sector, for example, they have been faced with the so-called pension levy and the income levy, with promises of more to come in two weeks. Therefore action is required today. Even IBEC indicated at the weekend that it was prepared to engage with ICTU on these issues. If IBEC is prepared to engage, surely the Government should do so.