When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Is it this Wednesday?

Is that agreed? Agreed. I thank the Minister for coming in and wish her well on her good news.

I remind Senators that a Senator may speak only once on Report Stage, except the proposer of an amendment who may reply to the discussion on the amendment. Each non-Government amendment must also be seconded.

Amendments Nos. 2 to 4, inclusive, and 9 are related and may be discussed together.

Amendment No. 6 is in the names of Senator Moynihan, Hoey, Sherlock and Wall. As no Member is here to move it, the amendment falls.

We have not been given notice of that.

I am sorry; I cannot accept amendment No. 6.

Amendments Nos. 7, 8 and 10 are related and may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Amendments Nos. 11 and 14 are related and may be discussed together.

I have no problem with the Bill in regard to the sick pay aspect. However, when we are drafting legislation, we should honestly and clearly identify that there is a significant difference in sick pay for a large company when compared with a small company, or for a small SME when compared with a large SME. Tied into all of that equation, when calculating this we have to take into account industries that have high labour costs as a percentage of turnover, because it is a double whammy for them, as opposed to industri…

I move: That Seanad Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to take part in the adoption and application of the following proposed measure: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on protecting persons who engage in public partici…

I contributed to the debate on Second Stage. I grew up and spent all my life in this industry. I have been an employee and an employer; I have been on both sides of the fence in respect of the matter to which the Bill relates. I have seen the distribution of tips in many forms, guises and modules in many hotels and restaurants. Some tips are divided equally and some are divided unequally. I have had good experiences and bad, but as a person involved in the industry, it is disappointing that we have had to introduce…

I will focus on the point on cash tips and I will speak from a practical point of view. It is almost impossible for an employer to regulate them. I have been on both sides of this. I have been through many schemes in many establishments. There have been schemes to pool tips and distribute them throughout the services or pool and distribute them among the waiting staff only, and there have been situations where people keep their tips. In most situations the employer never sees the cash. The cash is almost always giv…

Now.

Now.

Senator Aisling Dolan has eight minutes.

Members, behave.

I ask the Acting Leader to move that the Bill be recommitted in respect of amendments Nos. 3, 4, 9 and 10.

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. For the information of Members, please note that the House, by agreeing to the motion to recommit, allows a Committee Stage style discussion on the amendments Nos. 3, 4, 9 and 10, that is, Members may speak more than once on each amendment. In respect of other amendments, I remind Senators that on Report Stage a Senator may speak only once, except the proposer of the amendment who may reply to the discussion on the amendment. On Report Stage, each non-Government amendme…