David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

As a member of the Constitutional Convention and as someone who attended every sitting of the convention, with the exception of the opening, I put on record my full confidence in the operation and workings of the convention and the fair and balanced way in which the issues have been discussed and debated. That has been my experience.

I refer to the second Croke Park agreement, or Croke Park II, as it is known. The vast majority of public sector workers said "No" to what they see as a grossly unfair proposal and a deal that would have had a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income workers in the public sector. The Government thought the proposal would sail through and that the bully-boy tactics of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, would work, such as the blackmail and coercion used by the Government and the Minister to the effect that if workers did not accept pay cuts there would be a unilateral 7% pay cut across the board. These are pay cuts people cannot afford, certainly in the case of low- and middle-income workers. There was a universal answer from the vast majority of public sector workers, who sent a clear, unambiguous and simple message that they had had enough to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and every Member of the Oireachtas. We have heard from teachers, nurses, doctors, gardaí and care assistants, and people on the front line of many public services have said "No".

Will the Leader give a commitment that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform will remove the threats, end the coercion and not impose a unilateral pay cut of 7%? Will he also commit to going back to the drawing board and looking at genuine, credible alternatives such as taxing wealth and high earners, dealing with runaway pay and pensions at the top of the public service-----