Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I echo the words of Senator O'Toole about the proposed strike or day of action on Monday. We are all in agreement that it is unnecessary. Even though I speak as a committed trade unionist, many of us are very unhappy about the way it looks and many in the public sector are understandably reluctant to be seen to be withdrawing labour at a time when so many of their friends, relatives and colleagues in the private sector are being made redundant. It is something I hope will not happen. I think it is within the power of the Government to engage with the trade unions as ICTU has sought to engage with the Government by putting forward what seemed to many to be an eminently sensible ten-point plan a few weeks ago. ICTU has been seeking to engage with the Government, and IBEC has also been sending signals that it is willing to engage. It is incumbent on the Government to engage with the social partners to ensure the day of action does not go ahead. I agree it should not go ahead and I hope it does not. There has been a real failure by Government to engage with the social partners, especially on the ten point plan. All of us wish to see a plan of engagement and a coherent structure emerging regarding what we can expect, instead of lurching from one mini budget and financial crisis to the next. It is vital that the Government engages on this matter.

I echo Senator Eoghan Harris's call for a debate on the criminal justice system. I do not often find myself in agreement with Senator Harris on the criminal justice system. We have had heated disagreements on the topic in the past, but he is correct to say there is a real failure in our criminal justice system when our jails are full of people imprisoned for minor property offences or for failure to pay fines. We must find a different and alternative approach. The tragic case of the murder in Galway and the welcome conviction for that murder at the weekend shows part of the problem. It may have escaped people's attention, but the man convicted had been imprisoned numerous times in the past. It started when he was incarcerated as a young person in St. Patrick's Institution for young offenders, which has been recommended for closure by international human rights bodies on many occasions and which has been seen as a breeding ground for the training of future criminals. We need such a debate urgently.