Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I compliment Fianna Fáil backbenchers for calling it right on the ridiculous proposal of 12 days unpaid leave. It proves some people in Fianna Fáil are still in touch with reality because 12 days unpaid leave will not deliver public sector reform but will deliver chaos on the front line. The leaders of these unions and the Ministers dealing with them are not in touch with reality. The front line workers know they will have to pay the price. Parents will be knocking on doors looking for their child's teacher and people will be missing appointments. It will not work.

I fully support Senator Twomey's call for the Minister to come to the House to address this issue before we deliver real chaos on the front line. A pay cut would be far easier for our public service workers than this ridiculous proposal. How do the union leaders and the Ministers negotiating with them expect this to be delivered without negotiating with the workers who must deliver it, without negotiating with the principals in schools who will have to work out timetables with their teachers and without negotiating with the managers in hospitals? It is unworkable.