Six days ago, we saw one of the most historic actions to be taken on a global scale by Google workers in Tokyo, New York, Dublin, Berlin, London and many other cities that were not mentioned. Tens of thousands walked off the job in protest over sexual harassment. It is little known that their other demands were for normal things such as pay equality, workers' representation on the board and more accountability from management on the question of sexual harassment. They deserve to be complimented on that. Given that this is a company which is not known for its trade union activity or membership, this bodes well on an international scale for how young workers are responding to demand equality, an end to harassment and to have representation. I hope the Minister will join me in congratulating those workers. One said: "I don't know what it will take to change the system, but I do know that we are a crazy force to be reckoned with."

In line with the theme of the two previous speakers, I want to talk about another crazy force to be reckoned with, the nurses in this country, who are about to ballot for nationwide industrial action to secure pay increases that will allow them to live decent lives, to be able to afford to pay rent and to afford childcare, and which will help them to address the serious shortage on the wards and in emergency departments. There are 200 vacancies in emergency departments throughout the country with more than 1,000 vacancies for nurses in the public health system. They have a problem with recruitment and retention because of the low pay. Nurses still work a shift for nothing every eight weeks. It sticks in their craw that they have to go in for an evening, work through the night and get nothing for it. Nobody in this House would do that. I would argue that we are overpaid for what we do compared with the low pay they get for what they do.

We are facing a winter of discontent. It is not just from Google workers but will be from nurses in hospitals, psychiatric nurses who are about to ballot about pay, and ambulance drivers who refuse to do overtime because they are not getting trade union recognition. This winter of discontent is about to see working people try to change that very system. The Minister may call them crazy and they may call themselves crazy, but they are definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Will the Minister congratulate the workers in Google, not just in Dublin but globally, for the example and action they have taken? Will the Minister deal with the question of low pay in our health service, specifically for nurses, and the issues in the ambulance service? That must be done. If the Government cannot do it now, then I suggest the Cabinet does not take a Christmas holiday and works hard over the holiday period to ensure these issues are settled.

I would not call them crazy at all. They are a critical part of the public service and do invaluable work. I salute Google workers and acknowledge today that the CEO of Google has come out and said that they need to do more in that space. That is a very welcome development.

On public service and nurses' pay, we concluded a public service pay agreement, to which the public service unions signed up. Within the provisions of that, a review was undertaken of recruitment and retention issues in nursing. It made a number of specific recommendations that were considered by the Government recently, and all of those recommendations within that relating to nurses' pay and new entrants were accepted.

I appreciate that the INMO is in the throes of balloting members but the predictability that comes from a negotiated public service pay agreement across the public service has considerable merit. It is not open to the Government, as a party to the agreement, to unilaterally breach its terms and conditions without it having considerable consequences for all the public finances and public services the State tries to provide. Nurses are a critical element in delivering those public services in the area of health care. The initiative we have taken to deal with public service pay, and nurses pay within that, is based on looking at the issues agreed in the context of that agreement around retention and recruitment. The report, which the Government has accepted, is the basis for agreement for the years ahead.

The Government may have accepted the report but the people on the front line have not. I do not know if the Minister has looked at the details of the Public Service Pay Commission that is dealing with nurses. Nurses in certain specialties will get an extra €7 a week. One would not buy two pints of beer with that pay increase. It is an absolute insult to them and it is only certain sections of the nursing staff that will get it.

The Minister said it is not open to the Government to breach the terms of the public service pay agreement without serious consequences. I put it to him that the Government's failure to open proper pay negotiations with the nurses is having serious consequences. As I stated, nurses are balloting for a series of 24 hour stoppages. When nurses walk out of hospitals will the Minister congratulate them, as he just congratulated Google workers, on taking action to change the system that is crippling the health service, preventing recruitment and driving young workers, out of desperation, to walk off the job they care about? Will he congratulate them when they take action because he is worried about the serious consequences of breaching a pay agreement? Strikes are also serious consequences and the lives of those involved will be seriously damaged.

My understanding is that the public service pay agreement and the pay commission’s review of recruitment and retention will deliver significant benefits for up to 10,000 members of the nursing profession. There is evidence of goodwill in respect of what was an independent analysis of the issues around retention and recruitment undertaken within the auspices of the public service pay agreement. That has delivered a specific additional financial package to up to 10,000 nurses. That is significant. Negotiation is key and it would be appropriate that the INMO would meet departmental and HSE management in an effort to avoid unnecessary strike action.