Faced with historic industrial action by nurses, midwives and psychiatric nurses, is it not time to repeal the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act and acknowledge that, when rents are increasing by 15% per annum, when there are record corporation tax receipts and when we are in economic recovery, it is the Taoiseach's ideological opposition to workers of all kinds, including those in the public sector, obtaining any increase in their living standards that is about to give rise to this action being taken?

The Taoiseach says we cannot afford to pay nurses or teachers. I would add that two out of three of their unions have also said they are going to take strike action and the country could be plunged into further chaos because of the Government. The nurses' action is completely just. It is a completely different era now from ten years ago and they have suffered ten years of austerity. They are not and should not be willing to do it any longer.

It is precisely because of our support for public servants and our recognition of the immense work they do in our hospitals, classrooms and Garda stations that the process in respect of the repeal of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation is well under way. We are in our second year of a wage agreement with our public servants that looks to undo the FEMPI legislation, which was a result of the economic crisis. This month alone, the first change in the second year of that agreement comes into effect. In respect of the challenge we have that the Deputy has raised regarding the potential for industrial action in our hospitals, as I have said about every other public servant, we greatly value and appreciate the significant work nurses do in our hospitals. A meeting is taking place today between the nurses and the Health Service Executive on the potential for industrial action. A further engagement will take place on Friday between the nursing unions and the public service stability oversight committee, where all unions will be present to engage on the matter. The challenge we have is that if there is any movement or change in our wage bill for this year, every other public servant will expect the same.

And rightly so.

We need to be fair to everybody in protecting the wage agreement, which also allows us to make progress on many of the priorities that are raised by Members every day in this House.