Where does the FEMPI legislation now stand in light of the offer to nurses following the strike? Two weeks ago, the Taoiseach stood where he is now and told the entire country there was no money for nurses. With just three days of industrial action by nurses and massive support from the public, a new pay scale and pay offer came about. Nurses and workers everywhere will take note that strikes actually work. No amount of spin from The Irish Times can cover over what I am referring to. I have spoken to nurses in the past few hours and I noted they are not jumping for joy on the wards over the pay deal.

This strike was about pay parity and retaining young nurses. One nurse from Blanchardstown said to me that if there is not parity, it is not a deal. A student nurse said there is no change in the payscale for them, as far as they can see, the NHS has offered them a job and they still intend to go. We were told about a nurse going to Beaumont Hospital in tears. Can the Taoiseach tell nurses if this is pay parity and will it stop the retention and recruitment crisis?

I believe the question the Deputy initially asked was about financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation and this House has passed-----

That was an excuse to get the Taoiseach to talk about the nurses' strike and the deal because we are dealing with questions on promised legislation.

At least the Deputy is honest. It is a rhetorical question. The Deputy knows full well how this works. There was a hearing in the Labour Court and it heard all sides and came to a recommendation. It will be up to the members of the two particular unions, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, and the Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland, PNA, as to whether they want to accept or reject the recommendation of the Labour Court. The Government said this morning that it would accept the recommendation and, if the ballot is favoured by the members of those unions, we will honour it. When this dispute started, the INMO sought two things, the first of which was a down payment, some form of a pay increase this year. The Labour Court has recommended that. The INMO also sought a process that would create a pathway to parity.

Pay parity was written on the placards.

It is fair to say the Labour Court recommendation is that.

To answer Deputy Coppinger's final question, and I have said this before, there are many countries that pay less than Ireland does to its nurses and midwives, including most of Europe and most of the United Kingdom. There are many countries that pay more than we do, including Canada, Australia and countries in the Middle East. All those countries struggle to recruit nurses and midwives. This is not simply a matter of pay. There is an international shortage of nurses and midwives so I do not think that pay parity or pay rises, or even matching pay rates that we could never possibly match such as those available in the Middle East, will solve this problem.

Does the Taoiseach not think that would help?