I pay tribute to and congratulate Ms Patricia King, the general secretary-elect of ICTU. She will be the first woman to take over this role and she was the first woman to serve as a national officer of SIPTU when she was appointed vice president. She is a very formidable woman who was a lead negotiator in the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements and is also a member of the body tasked with the implementation of the Haddington Road agreement.

She also played a role in the Irish Ferries dispute in 2005-2006, and in subsequent negotiations saw the overhaul of employment rights legislation and the establishment of the National Employment Rights Authority. I wish Patricia the very best in her new role. I know that she will be a formidable woman and that she will be very involved in collective bargaining in any new future agreements. She will always represent the rights of workers in this country.