Martin Conway (Fine Gael)

I call on cool heads to prevail and to await an early opinion from the Attorney General.

I also have a slight concern about the management of the mass redundancies within the public sector. I wish well in their retirement to the 7,000 to 8,000 people who have decided to go. I ask the Leader to facilitate the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to come to the House for a question and answer session on what crisis management systems are in place. I have no doubt there is a rapid response team in place to ensure that the flexibility we are told is available and that is part of the Croke Park agreement will kick into force. This will be a defining moment on the Croke Park agreement as to whether it does what it is supposed to do and creates the flexibility.

It is also important to remember that for every 100 public servants only three are retiring - there are still 97 left. We are a country of 4 million people. Surely to God, 97 out of every 100 can be flexible enough to ensure that people will not be affected on the front line. I call on the Leader to facilitate an early question and answer session with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.