Donie Cassidy (Fianna Fail)

On the Minister's return, I will arrange for a debate as long as colleagues wish, with the Minister present, on the up-to-date situation with regard to Tallaght Hospital.

An urgent debate on the Government's up-to-date policy on the public sector was called for. I have no difficulty in having time left aside for this, but I hope the Taoiseach and the social partners get around the table in the next few weeks and start negotiating where we are going to meet the challenge faced by Ireland at present. I know the very many decent people in the trade union movement want to play a part, but they do not know the direction and they need to be reassured. As colleagues said in the House yesterday, we would like to see the Taoiseach sitting down with the social partners and getting back to negotiations. To give everyone time to breathe, all parties should step back from any strike or industrial action for one month to allow for further negotiations. Ultimately, everything will need to be negotiated. In the interests of our country and everyone concerned, whether they are patients in hospital or students in schools, everything that can be done must be done. Ultimately, with the Taoiseach and Government representatives and the social partners around the table, an agreement can be found.

In 1987 things were just as bad, if not worse, because we had four and a half to five years of the same situation as that in which we find ourselves at present. We have two years behind us now. We have a large amount of experience. Let us build on Ireland's success story over the past 20 years and look forward to working out an arrangement together on all sides in the national interest.