In the context of the programme for Government and industrial relations in the health service, I wish to reflect on today's strike which represents the dysfunctionality of human resource management in the health service. Yesterday the Taoiseach said the Government had accepted the outcome of the job evaluation scheme and the recommendations made and was prepared to pay. The only issues seemed to be implementation and the timelines. When I said the strike would have been averted by the payment of a couple of million euro, it was in that context because the Government has stated it is willing to pay and accepts the outcome of the job evaluation, yet the Taoiseach said the issues were the timelines and implementation in the next few years. He said payments would start in 2019. I think Deputy Howlin suggested the offer was €1 million.

It was the offer.

My sense is the union would settle for something higher than €1 million. I might be wrong, but my suggestion is that it would be in single digits. In the context of the massive overruns on a range of other projects, it would not have taken a whole lot to avert the strike. Three more days of strike action have been pencilled in for next week. There are, obviously, significant issues for patients and those who attend hospitals as inpatients and outpatients. In respect of the commitment in the programme for Government to better industrial relations within the health service, I put it to the Taoiseach that the strike could have been averted and that some creative work should be done to make sure we will not have strikes next week.

As I pointed out, the public sector pay bill is now at a record high.

It comes to approximately €18 billion a year. There is enough to build a children’s hospital every two months. We have set aside €400 million for public sector pay increases this year. Anyone who is drawing equivalence with the national children’s hospital or the national broadband plan needs to understand these figures.

The Government needs an extra €400 million.

We will move on.

The Taoiseach did not answer the question.

I was interrupted, but I am happy to answer it.

The Taoiseach is too glib.

We have 28 minutes left. Members on all sides of the House should not invite interruptions. If the Taoiseach wants to respond fully, I will give him the chance to do so.

Again, I am not fully sure what the question was. As I said, we believe the offer made at the Workplace Relations Commission was appropriate. We accept the outcome of the workplace evaluation process. It is about the timing and implementation of the additional pay increase on top of the other increases which are being paid this year. If the issue cannot be resolved at the Workplace Relations Commission, we are willing to go to the Labour Court for a binding determination.