John Gerard Hanafin (Fianna Fail)

I ask the Leader for a debate on social partnership. When times are difficult and jobs are hard to come by even though the employers have the upper hand, that is particularly a time for a logical sequence of events to allow everybody to partake fully, not just in the good times, but also in the difficult times so that we avoid people going on strike unnecessarily. I am particularly thinking about people who have excellent terms and conditions, as outlined in the House this morning, and who decide to strike at a time when the nation is working together, going through a difficult time and taking the burden as equally as can be apportioned to every sector. When that is the template that is being used, it is not a time for people to go on strike. At least people should doubly and trebly think before they consider striking.

I also ask the Leader for a debate on the electoral systems. In particular I am thinking about elections for the European Parliament. We should have a debate in this House on the proposal in the renewed programme for Government to have an all-island electoral system to the European Parliament.