Joe O'Toole (Independent)

The acting leader of Fine Gael raised a valid point, that there should be a debate on this scenario of extraordinary industrial action by public service unions because there is, as he quite correctly put it, another point of view on this. It would be very helpful, even to the Government, to have this discussion for the simple reason that those working in the public sector, whether they be teachers, nurses, civil servants, gardaí or whoever, feel utterly demoralised at present. Whether they are right or wrong about it, they feel that they are being put upon, that they are taking the hit for something for which they were not responsible, that they were hit twice last year and they will be hit again this year, and they do not know what will happen next year. It is in that extraordinary climate of uncertainty that there will be no control of people's expectations. People will state that the game is not worth the candle. There is no doubt in my mind that if this matter is not debated, discussed and negotiated, there will be devastating action in the public sector. In speaking to public servants, the line I am getting back from them is what have they to lose in that they are being hit left, right and centre, and they are being demoralised and discouraged with no hope and no certainty for the future. These things can be given.

I stated here previously that with the proper approach to this the argumentation on both sides has extraordinary merit. It is only when people are confronted with the other point of view that they can be forced into taking compromise positions and then we get agreement on how to move forward. To that extent, I completely agree that we need to have a discussion on that.

I am utterly discouraged by the fragmentation of society, in particular, on public sector versus private sector lines, which is being fuelled by the media. I want those in this House to remember that what public servants are saying to each other, to others and to public representatives is that they did not cause all this, they were not in the banks, they were not the people who created all the present difficulties in Ireland, they were asked to pay the price last year, they are being asked to pay the price this year and the same will apply next year, they do not know when it will stop and there does not seem to be any balancing on the other side. There are people with wealth who walked away scot free, who have invested in large tracts of land, in industry and in initiatives in other countries who are reaping the benefit and they, the public servants and the taxpayer, are now paying for it. It flows into the discussion on NAMA.

It would be extraordinarily helpful that people would be forced to listen to each other's point of view on this issue so that people would state from where they are coming and the Government would open the books showing where it is. At the end of the day, we must take up the cudgels on behalf of the economy, but let us do so in a way that brings people together rather than that fragments and forces them apart.

I ask the Deputy Leader about an issue which is close to his heart and with which he dealt on a number of occasions, that is, the name of my home town, Dingle - Daingean Uí Chuis. Tugadh geallúint do mhuintir an bhaile sin go mbeadh dul chun cinn déanta ag an Rialtas chun ainm cheart a thabhairt ar ais do mhuintir an bhaile, agus bhí súil acu go mbeadh sé sin déanta roimh deireadh na bliana seo. Is cuimhin liom a bheith ag caint leis an Acting Leader cúpla mí ó shin agus bhí sé sásta agus dóchasach go ndeanfaí sin. Will he put on record the current position? I was in Dingle at the weekend and people are very excited about the fact that nothing is happening. It is like the issue I discussed earlier in that people need to be kept informed and up to date on this, and perhaps it would be helpful if the Deputy Leader could deal with that this morning.