Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Finance if he has responded to the letter to him from a person (details supplied) regarding the decision of a bank to reject a Labour Court recommendation on the remuneration of workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37897/09]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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My Department issued a response to the letter the Deputy refers to on 30 September. Briefly, the main points of this letter are outlined below.

I do not accept that Government support of an institution provides any argument in favour of any particular group. In fact, taxpayers will naturally look to bank employees to understand and respond to the financial situation in which these institutions find themselves. Jobs in the financial sector are now being protected by enormous taxpayer support. While ordinary financial sector workers are not to blame for this situation, they are getting more assistance than many other workers in other sectors. While I will not be participating in the negotiation process regarding this dispute, directly or by seeking to influence directors, and am not giving an opinion on the merits of this particular case, I feel this general background must be borne in mind by financial sector employees generally.