It is deeply unfair on the public that there will be significant disruption to their daily lives because unions are unwilling to sit down-----

Not true.

-----and engage constructively on a new agreement, which we want to have. This Government wants to have a fair, equitable deal for public sector workers. Our record on that is clear. If you take the lowest paid in the public service, their wage increases have far exceeded inflation over the past number of years. A clerical officer, teacher or nurse will have received in excess of 30%, when inflation is about 23%. We have targeted and supported the lowest income cohorts in terms of public sector workers.

We are clear that the only way to get a deal is for there to be intensive engagement. What we have had over the last two months is a process of balloting rather than substantive engagement. My officials remain open and willing to do that.

Why are they going on strike?

Again, the Deputy just makes this generic point about funding public services. We have funded significant increases in public services over the last number of years. There has been nearly €10 billion more in our health system over a series of years. There have been significant increases in investment in our education system, particularly in special education, and rightly so, but no area of the public service or, indeed, public expenditure should be immune from greater reform, efficiencies and improved productivity. What we are doing in this budget as well is trying to drive greater outputs from the level of spend which has significantly increased in the last number of years.

Thank you, Minister.

That is to make sure we get greater value for taxpayers and improved public services rather than it just being a binary discussion. which is what we get from the Opposition benches, about allocating more.

Deputy Bacik to respond.

That is not sustainable.

I would agree with one thing. When the Minister says Fianna Fáil has a clear record, it certainly does: it has a clear record on abandoning public sector workers.

Hear, hear.

The last time public sector unions went on strike was when Fianna Fáil was in government. We are seeing the neglect and abandonment of the public sector PAYE workers again with Fianna Fáil now in government. The Labour Party has put forward clear, costed proposals. We are the only party that did not support the narrowing of the tax base and stood against that reckless VAT cut for hospitality last year. We put forward very clear proposals for helping struggling households this summer just gone in our May mini-budget proposals which the Minister voted against. We have clearly put forward the need for targeted energy credits as a way of helping households who are now in arrears on energy bills but we also recognise, as the Minister does not seem to be able to do, that we need a more sustainable, long-term way of addressing spiralling energy bills and spiralling housing and childcare and grocery costs too. That is where our costed alternative budget that we will be launching next week will be putting forward constructive measures that are taking climate seriously-----

The Minister to respond.

-----and taking public sector workers seriously in a way that Fianna Fáil does not seem capable of doing.

The Deputy needs to study the facts. If you take the last five to six years, public pay has increased by in excess of €12 billion per year.

Where is the agreement? Where is the deal?

That has resulted in a massive expansion of public services, more than 70,000 more people working across public services - in our education system and our health system and with the number of front-line gardaí increasing year on year, and rightly so. We want to invest in better public services and ensure public sector workers are given a fair, equitable pay agreement.

The agreement ran out.

That is why in the last pay deal we allowed for increases of 9.5% when inflation over the same period was about 6.5%, again, supporting a fair and equitable deal. That remains the case. We are a Government that will make provision for a public sector pay deal so people are paid fairly.

When?

We are open an willing to engage with unions. Instead they are balloting their members.

They are waiting.

That has been their prerogative. Over the last two months they have taken a course of balloting members rather than engaging in substantive discussions to give their members a pay deal. We are willing and open to do that and we will make provision for it as well.