Labhrás Ó Murchú (Fianna Fail)

Yesterday, a new salary and expenses regime for Deputies and Senators was announced. This is an important piece of the economic recovery jigsaw towards which we are all working. It is particularly important that Members of the Oireachtas are seen to be bearing the hurt the same as the public do in so many areas. Some of the difficult decisions made to date by the Government are now bearing fruit and we can see that we are being viewed internationally as a country making a genuine and focused effort to put in place the elements of an economic recovery.

At the same time, we are all aware of a simmering under the surface where the trade unions are concerned. I agree with Senator O'Toole that we must urgently address this issue. It is not sufficient to know that it is there and that we ignore it to some extent. It is far more important that an effort is made again to engage with the trade unions. Social partnership is the way forward. To some extent perhaps it has been tarnished because having seen its success in the good days, the recession is being blamed on it. I do not accept this. I believe it is possible to sit down around the table once again and look at the views of the trade unions. It is not the decisions made that are the big problem; the fears of the trade unions for the future are what are important, and this is especially true of the public service. We should sit down with all the trade unions and social partners and indicate what the coming years will involve. It is not enough to take an eye off the ball. We have made good progress but we must build on it.