The current dispute in An Post and last week's threatened industrial action at Dublin Airport and CIE have heightened the vulnerability of the public to industrial action in essential services. There is now a situation where the public must pay the price for these disputes, such as the current one where mail can neither be sent nor received. Is the Tánaiste aware that the Labour Relations Commission produced draft codes of practice for disputes in essential services, signed under the seal of the then Minister for Labour, Mr. O'Kennedy, on 6 January 1992? These impact directly on people and business. Will the Tánaiste explain whether the bodies involved have such codes of practice and why, after 12 years since the LRC wrote the draft, these have not been implemented or there is no impetus to have them implemented? Does this not demonstrate a failure of Government and a failure of the current partnership model to protect consumer interests? We are now faced with daily threats to essential services and these mechanisms have not been put in place 12 years after the LRC wrote the draft codes of practice for such bodies.

I share Deputy Kenny's concern about the difficulties in some State bodies, particularly those delivering essential services. I welcome the fact that both sides in the postal dispute will have talks tomorrow with the Labour Relations Commission. In the State sector generally, companies must be prepared at both management and employee level to embrace change. An Post has lost €100 million on a cumulative basis over the last few years and that is not sustainable.

There is a code of practice on essential services which parties have agreed and it is important that those who have agreed it, honour it. We have operated industrial relations in the State on a voluntary basis, staying away from the prescriptive legislation that exists in other countries and which has not worked satisfactorily in many instances. We have usually been able to resolve disputes in that way and I hope that will be the case in this situation. I appeal on behalf of the Government to both sides in the dispute. I ask employees to return to work to implement the plans which they agreed and I hope the Labour Relations Commission can resolve the outstanding difficulties in An Post.

Will the Tánaiste confirm if a code of practice exists in An Post for dealing with disputes of this nature? In the LRC document that deals with essential services, they are defined as services the cessation of which would cause major damage to the national economy or widespread hardship to the community. Can the Tánaiste confirm if the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources has called in the chairman of An Post, who happens to be an active member of Fianna Fáil, and told him that mail delivery is essential to the smooth running of the country and fundamental to the State?

Will the Tánaiste outline the structure and strategy for the long-term implementation of a code of practice that will continue to deliver an essential service like the delivery of post, to the highest possible standard? Has the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources called in the chairm an of An Post and what is the strategy for the long-term implementation of a high-quality essential service that is now being disrupted, causing hardship to the community and which may cause severe problems for the economy?

The Minister has been in constant contact with the senior management, chief executive officer and the chairman of the board of An Post about the dispute and ongoing matters affecting the company. We hope the discussions that will begin tomorrow at the Labour Relations Commission will be successful. In the first instance, the discussions will be held separately with both sides and it will be a matter for the LRC to proceed thereafter.

There is no long-term strategy.