Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will look at my calendar later and see if I can find what date “in due course” is. We need a date and if the Minister is not moving towards a date, that is a difficulty. The last time we discussed this, the previous Minister advised me that no targets had been set in regard to the 80%. That is a grave mistake. If the Government is not driving the targets, there is going to be drift. He also said, quite bizarrely – I am putting this back on the record because I challenged it at the time and will challenge it again if it is said - that “There is not the same demand for union membership and representation in some sectors of the Irish economy as there is in others.” Actually, all of the studies and surveys find that people are very positively disposed towards trade unions and they will join trade unions if the opportunity is presented to them. Indeed, I restate my opinion, which is that the best way to protect your rights and entitlements at work is not just to join a trade union but to be active in that trade union. The setting of targets has to be part of this process and dates are essential because the potential for drift is quite serious.

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