Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

We are at a time of real opportunity if the opportunities are grasped. It is great news that Monday's national strike is called off but now the Taoiseach has a real opportunity on his hands if he grasps it. A proper social partnership model needs to be formulated to include, in addition to the existing social partners who are very important, small and medium enterprises and the multinationals — the wealth-creating and job-creating sectors of this country. Without their revenues we would not be able to pay our public service. Those are the people making the sacrifices at the moment and they are the ones who are losing jobs. I put it to the Leader that he has an important role to bring this message to the Taoiseach, to ask him to include the whole workforce in the talks. If he does that, we may have a sustainable model in the future.

My second point of real opportunity is the fact that the Government has appointed Dr. Alan Ahearne. He is a neighbour of mine. I know him; he is a good man.