Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Let us look at the substance of it. Senators Cummins, Hayden, Gilroy and others put forward the substance of the Bill. It is clear, as the Minister said in his opening statement, that none of us wants to be in a position of introducing the legislation. No Government would introduce cuts to public sector pay by choice. This is a circumstance in which we are in and these are circumstances are not of our making. The legislation is unprecedented. Far from strong-arm tactics, it represents a negotiated settlement with the majority of trade unions. Particular sectoral agreements, as Senators on the other side are well aware, have been reached with the Defence Forces, the Prison Service and the Garda Síochána. These dealt with particular savings in the sectors and were negotiated by union representatives acting in the best interests of their members. The Minister said this was unprecedented and it is the mark of the Labour Party in government. We are negotiating with unions and not imposing unilateral cuts in the way Fianna Fáil did in government on a number of occasions through emergency financial measures.