John Whelan (Labour) | Oireachtas source

It would be remiss of me today not to pay tribute to the Tánaiste, Deputy Joan Burton, and to commend her and our colleague, Senator Katherine Zappone, for their dignity, courage and composure and for the consideration they showed at all times for the welfare, well-being and safety of others, with no regard for their own welfare. It is sufficient to say that what we saw and what was witnessed has no place in our Republic or in a democracy. It did a grave disservice to the people of the Jobstown and Tallaght community and is not representative of those people and the people from that working-class area. They deserve better leadership. We saw great leadership from two courageous women as the horror and intimidation unfolded to our disbelief.

We are at a critical juncture in our country as the year draws to a close in terms of our tentative and fragile economic and social recovery. Therefore, I appeal for the intervention of two Ministers into two potentially hazardous and destructive strike actions which are looming. Members of the POA in the Prison Service have been forced to go on a work to rule which will escalate in the next fortnight to a full blown strike unless there is some resolution, some common-sense. The Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald is a very sensible person and a level-headed Minister who can intervene. Working in a prison is not like doing any other job. It is a very dangerous job. People working in the Prison Service work in a confined, "Love/Hate" environment on an ongoing basis. They are family men and women. Certain elements within the Prison Service management system are trying to goad and provoke them through the unilateral introduction of new work practices which are outside the scope and terms of the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements. I ask the management to withdraw these new work practices in the interest of safe and sensible management of our prison service because these new work practices which are being introduced are vindictive and tantamount to bullying of the prison officers.