Today, I want to take some time to thank Fórsa trade union and its members. I wish its members well. It is now in its second day of its three-day annual conference. I also wish the Taoiseach well as he addresses the conference today and engages, hopefully, in a two-way, respectful dialogue with the members of the trade union. Many Members will see Fórsa magazines in the corridors of Leinster House. I go and get them. I engage with them. I think it is a very credible organisation, and I want to support them.

It is important to say that Fórsa is the trade union of choice for over 25,000 civil servants working as clerical, administrative, technical and professional staff and service officers. Fórsa represents 30,000 health and welfare workers, including health and social care professionals and clerical, administrative, management and technical staff. Fórsa is the trade union of choice for over 10,000 local government and service workers, including clerical, administrative, management, technical and professional staff. Fórsa is the education trade union for more than 18,000 staff in our schools and early education, as well as clerical, administrative and management staff in the institutions of technology and our ETBs that we would be very familiar with. Fórsa is also the trade union for municipal workers, supporting general operatives and manual workers in local councils and in educational institutions. Fórsa is the trade union for over 7,000 workers of services and enterprises, including commercial and non-commercial semi-State organisations and private companies in aviation and communication.

It is a critical body that represents a very important workforce in ways that interplay with our work as parliamentarians and the work of those who work in local government, the Civil Service and the public service. Public service is well served by that collaboration. I know all of us want to wish their conference well. I wish the Taoiseach well. It is a collaboration that is going to make this country go forward. It is working together. It is compromising when necessary, but also being fair to our employees and our public services. Today I thank Fórsa for its advocacy work and its collaboration with politics and policymakers and wish the members of Fórsa and all public servants who work in the Houses of the Oireachtas every success and continued happiness in this workspace.