This is about workers on low pay.

This is about workers on low pay. The Government just wants to have a cheap deal-----

They are listening to the Taoiseach.

People on low pay-----

I apologise for being a bit tardy in my attendance this evening. I heard the Minister's backbench colleague tell us that we need to send a strong message and indeed we do. I also heard him say that he has been dealing with this matter for years, which highlights the effectiveness of the measures taken to counter this problem. Everywhere we go, the skies are lit up at night and pets, children with special needs and elderly people are terrified. People are afraid to go out. The Minister said we have strong and robust…

I will go briefly through the sequence of this matter if the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, does not mind. On 20 August my colleague, an Teachta Gould, wrote to the Minister of State seeking information and an update on the status of drug and alcohol support group meetings. I do not think anyone will dispute how important they are. We know they are. On 26 August an Teachta Gould received a reply. In the intervening time he had to write to both the Minister for Health and the Taoiseach directly because no reply …

The Minister of State said that individuals affected by problem drug or alcohol use often have higher levels of physical comorbidity and that alcohol may make an individual's immune system less effective. That is offensive. These people are in recovery. Many of them have not had a drink for years. The Minister is saying they will never be out of recovery because in his eyes they will always be in addiction. That is what he is saying and that is grossly offensive. I have brought it up with the Minister of State befo…

There are three of us: me, Deputy O'Rourke and Deputy Kerrane. We will take one minute each, if the Acting Chairman is agreeable to that, followed by a response from the Minister and a further one minute each for the reply. Is that okay?

I know the Minister is aware of the plight of Aer Lingus workers because I have written to her on the matter, as have my colleagues, but I wish to share with the Minister just some of the stories we are getting. I will not identify anyone. I received an email yesterday stating: My net pay for a fortnight after deductions this week came to €250. I have a mortgage and bills to pay which I now cannot afford. We've been informed by our local Intreo office that we are entitled to jobseeker's benefit for the days that we…

Yesterday, the Minister stated on radio that "if people are entitled to benefits, they are entitled to them, and I want to make sure that they get them". The performance of Aer Lingus to date will not inspire the workers or give them much confidence that they will get their forms filled. I ask the Minister to issue an instruction to her officials to accept those forms, if they are filled out correctly and if the relevant documentation, with the exception of that from Aer Lingus, is provided. These people are desper…

I am looking at a letter that was sent to the Minister of State from Patricia King and is dated 31 August. It is addressed to the Minister of State with responsibility for business, employment and retail and to the Department of employment and enterprise. Are we not terribly lucky in that we would have had two Ministers to choose from? I fully respect that the schedule was changed but neither senior Minister is now available. That sends a very clear message to the Debenhams workers in particular. I do not mean that…

The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent public health measures implemented to reduce the spread of this virus have created unprecedented challenges for small and medium enterprises, SMEs, microbusinesses and the workers that they employ. These public health measures have required businesses across several sectors to close or to implement physical distancing measures that have significantly reduced their capacity to operate. This has had a negative effect on consumption and their trading opportunities. The subsequent l…

In his opening statement, the Minister of State mentioned that persons running recovery support meetings should proceed with extra caution because people with addiction problems are more vulnerable. That really worries me because the people attending these meetings are in recovery. They have managed to get themselves into a situation where they need the meetings for support but they are no more vulnerable than the Minister of State or me. They could be people who have gone 20, 30 or 40 years since they last had a d…

During the course of Covid-19 and for a bit before it, my family had experience of cancer. My husband had to have surgery at the height of the pandemic and it was terrifying. Having surgery any time is not great but it was very scary because we were worried about how Covid would be dealt with. The staff were fantastic but we could tell that it was not an ideal environment. The capacity was not there. How many times did the Minister and I have conversations about the lack of capacity in the health service and the ur…

I am here.

I am here at the front. That is why the Ceann Comhairle cannot see me. Much has been said about how children are managing in getting back to school and the way that it is being prioritised. We can all agree that every child wants to go back to school. In some ways, some are probably a little more reluctant than others. Their parents want them back at school and every effort is being made to get them back to school. We need to acknowledge that not every child can go back in the same way and some children will need a…

Before I make my contribution on the legislation, I want to put on the record again my dissatisfaction with the fact that the Tánaiste, Deputy Varadkar, is not here. The Minister of State will know that we were not happy previously when the Tánaiste did not attend. Today, again, he is not in attendance. This is a pattern. On the previous occasion on which I spoke on this, I stated that I sincerely hoped it was not a pattern. One would not need a microscope to figure out that there is a pattern here. It is disrespec…

Stick to the points of the legislation.

I am sorry, we are here to debate the Bill.

The amendment I sought to make was on tactical insolvencies, an issue that has been raised by other Deputies. I take the point the Minister of State made about the Minister, and it is very good to have the Minister of State with direct delegated responsibility for this issue in the Chamber but it is not unusual for the Minister and the Minister of State to attend. My comments were directed at the Minister, who is not here. I fully respect that the Minister of State is here and that he is he very engaged, which is e…