I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 8, the Micro-plastic and Micro-bead Pollution Prevention Bill, be taken before No. 1 today. We see the impact of plastic waste on our marine ecosystems in the rivers and oceans of the world. This plastic is filling habitats and demonstrates a careless disposal of waste. Most shocking of all, these little plastic beads, which are contained in face washes and shower gels, are intended to go into the water system. From there, they make their way into the marine food chain. Our EU membership involves obligations to look after our marine environment. The marine strategy framework directive obliges Ireland to ensure its seas and coasts have a good environmental status by 2030. Yesterday, the Italian Parliament passed a Bill to ban microbeads following the path set by the US, the UK, France and several other countries. I hope this Bill will go some way towards addressing the challenge of pollution in the marine ecosystem.

I second Senator Grace O'Sullivan's amendment. It is a very important Bill. These microbeads stay in the environment for decades, if not centuries, so I congratulate the Senator on bringing forward the Bill.

Industrial relations in this country are disastrous at this stage. I thought it was quite hypocritical of Fianna Fáil to raise this issue considering it crashed and burned the economy. The effects on the public sector are in direct relation to the way the economy was run during 14 years of Fianna Fáil rule. However, Fine Gael must take responsibility for the length of time and inaction involved. Deputy Howlin showed leadership when he collapsed the Haddington Road agreement into the Lansdowne Road agreement to reflect the changing circumstances of the economy. Unfortunately, we have seen inaction and lack of engagement, negotiations and leadership in this area since the formation of the Government. One group cannot be treated differently from another. There is a need to look again at the Lansdowne Road agreement and collapse it into a new agreement that would encompass the entire public sector.

Hear, hear.

The Government has an agreement with Fianna Fáil that is fundamentally cowardly. Fianna Fáil should have gone into a coalition Government instead of this myth that it is not in power or has no control and that if anything goes wrong, it is Fine Gael's fault and if anything goes right, it is Fianna Fáil's doing. We need leadership in this area. Otherwise, we will go into a year of strikes and industrial unrest. I second Senator Ó Ríordáin's proposal when he rose in this House asking for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Donohoe, to come to the House and have a discussion. Even at this late hour, the Minister should come to the House and reassure us that at least there is a plan because nobody else thinks there is a plan. There is plan of no engagement or discussion and the thinking is that everything will go well and the Government will face it down. That will lead to an economic crash. We talk about what happened in the referendum in the UK where the people decided to leave the EU. The industrial unrest we are facing into could destroy all the good work of the past five years in trying to rebuild our economic independence. It could all be lost for the lack of a plan and a lack of engagement. I ask that the Minister comes to the House as soon as possible to discuss what his plan is in respect of industrial peace for our nation.