I am pleased that some progress appears to have been made or is about to be made with the credit union movement. There is considerable potential that could be unleashed especially at this anxious moment in our economic history. Given the social importance of the credit union movement it is important that credit unions would have the opportunity to invest in social and affordable housing initiatives. The idea complies with their social and community ethos. We should remember that a considerable number of those savin…

The programme for Government is virtually silent on the question of workers' rights and there can be no even or fair recovery in the absence of a focus on collective bargaining and decent pay and wages. I acknowledge the welcome commitment in the programme to a living wage, but there is no timeline of any substance. What is required is for the riding instructions of the Low Pay Commission to be changed in legislation to give it a legal target to transform the national minimum wage rate to a living wage over the nex…

I thank the Taoiseach for the rundown on the number and variety of Cabinet committees. Can he confirm which committee will discuss the implications of the Apple judgment? I assume it will be dealt with by the committee on economic recovery and investment. The programme for Government commits to a commission on taxation and welfare. We in the Labour Party have repeatedly called for the establishment of a standing committee on taxation. We have also repeatedly called for a minimum effective corporation tax rate in th…

As I am a trained historian, as is the Taoiseach, I hope he will recognise the role that my party, the Labour Party, has played in opening Ireland up to the investment of multinational corporations. The view has always been that this was an initiative of Seán Lemass and the late T. K. Whitaker, a good friend of mine from my alma mater in Drogheda, St. Joseph's CBS, but of course, it was William Norton, then Tánaiste and Minister for Industry and Commerce and leader of the Labour Party, who first opened Ireland up t…

I thank the Taoiseach. As he will know, I come from and represent a Border constituency. It is no exaggeration to say that Brexit is a massive concern. It is always in the background. Those concerns have only been compounded by the current public health and economic crises caused by Covid-19. What precisely did the UK Prime Minister say to the Taoiseach about the prospect of a deal during their phone call? Did the Taoiseach raise with the German Chancellor Irish concerns about the size of the EU financial package a…

I congratulate the Minister of State on his recent appointment and wish him well in his work and in his term of office at a very important time for our country. I confirm that the Labour Party will not oppose this legislation. We support its merits and what it is designed to do. I noted with interest the book review by the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, in The Irish Times this weekend of The Economics of Belonging by Martin Sandbu. He cited a particular relevant passage, which I will read out. It states “Those turning a…

I welcome the Minister and wish him well on his appointment. We hope he will accept the sentiments contained in this motion. One of our key aims is that action be taken to protect mortgage holders who accrue interest and penalties as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. I have read the Government amendment and it does nothing to alleviate the situation being experienced by tens of thousands of families across the country. Referring a struggling family who will have to pay an additional €4,300 in interest on a 30-year…

The July stimulus package is eagerly awaited by working people and businesses across the country. They are anxious to see the colour of this Government's money. Will the Taoiseach state when precisely he intends to present the July stimulus? Will he also commit to present the package to this Chamber? It is important to do that, rather than to launch such a significant State investment initiative outside this House. It is important that the contents of the package are debated in this House. Which legislation will re…

I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to give statutory effect to recommendations of the Labour Court in relation to pay and conditions in certain sectors of the economy; and to provide for connected matters. A recent High Court judgment struck down the sectoral employment order, SEO, system for the electrical contracting sector and also the statutory framework for other such orders as set out in Chapter 3 of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015. The judgment has had a chilling …

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

I congratulate the Tánaiste on his appointment at this very important time for our society and our economy. On behalf of the Labour Party, I wish him well. He, and the new Government in its entirety, can be assure of robust but constructive opposition from myself and my Labour Party colleagues at this critical time for our economy and our society. Where we disagree with the Tánaiste, we will tell him why in robust terms but we will also seek to provide workable solutions and alternatives to any of his plans that we…

On behalf of the Labour Party, I want to express my sincerest condolences to Detective Garda Horkan's father, all his family and his very wide circle of friends. His loss to his grieving family is simply incalculable. We send our deepest sympathies on the tragic loss of one of their own to the people of Charlestown in Mayo and Detective Garda Horkan's friends in the GAA. We especially extend our sympathies to Detective Garda Horkan's colleagues in An Garda Síochána. When one member falls in the line of duty, it is …

I thank Deputy O'Gorman for putting on the record some very important indisputable facts around a reality of threats that have been issued to juries in organised crime cases in recent years. That is one of the primary reasons this House needs to unite to express our support for resolutions put forward by the Minister today. I have no hesitation whatsoever in supporting the continuation of many of these very important measures in the fight against the scourge of organised crime in this country. That being said, I su…

I could not let the opportunity pass without putting on record my praise for Deputy Durkan and his very impressive contribution. I can only imagine now that he has gone to the Minister to tell him about his Pauline conversion to investment in social housing and all the great things we can expect to see over the next period. I say this with the greatest of respect to Deputy Durkan, as his was a very impressive contribution. Energy efficiency measures in the built environment are what might be termed low-hanging frui…

I welcome the Minister into the Chamber again today to debate these Estimates. We truly are in exceptional and crazy times. I have said time and again over recent weeks that I find it a little unacceptable that we are being asked to provide an additional enormous resource to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection at this point in time without having the full knowledge of how the Department intends to deploy the massive wedge of taxpayers' money that will be spent in the coming weeks and months. …

This was said on national radio and it was not denied. It was confirmed.

I think that individual is well able to defend himself. This is a fact that he has confirmed.

I appreciate that and I take the Ceann Comhairle's advice. It is revealing of the attitude of some in our society and is very troubling indeed. Given the preponderance of low pay in this country, with 23% of all workers on low pay, it goes to shows we have a big issue and we need to be careful how we treat the pandemic unemployment payment and the language that we use over the next period. It troubles me. It is divisive, unfair and it is not on. We need to be careful about that. The Social Insurance Fund is under e…

That is because you have six talking at the same time. We do not.

I thank the Ceann Comhairle. The Minister looks like she is about to deliver the votes of the Swedish Eurovision jury. I hope Louth gets douze points when she responds. Earlier, the Minister raised the anomaly in the temporary wage subsidy scheme as it relates to women who are returning to work having spent time on maternity leave. I and my Labour Party colleagues are very pleased that this anomaly looks like it is about to be addressed. I am, however, very concerned that it is taking a considerable number of weeks…