Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

That is different procedure from the way I work in other committees but will I abide by the Chair.

The response given by Mr. Hegarty does not deal with another point raised by Mr. O'Sullivan. Connolly Shoes workers have also raised the point with me. We change the legislation dealing with the insolvency fund so that means - if I understand Mr. Hegarty correctly - that workers can at least get compensation quickly and it stops that blockage. However, what about the employers who are getting away with murder? Should there not be a way to chase them up? We need to address that point also because it really grates with people. It is not just a question of money, as Mr. O'Sullivan has said. I know John Mulpetre from Connolly Shoes would make the same point that it is also about justice and the injustice of the public having to pick up the tab for an employer who just ignores the rules, plays fast and loose with the rules and shows complete contempt for the processes. We need to look at how to address that and how to deal with companies or directors hiding behind limited liability and using shelf companies. It is an absolute scandal. What changes are needed in company law in order to address this situation? If I remember correctly, the situation is similar to the Vita Cortex case with that boss hiding behind different corporate identities in order to evade his responsibilities.

I have a question for the representative from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. Have we a slight reason to be concerned that the Department's reforms are just more cuts dressed up as reforms? That might be my suspicious mind. It is proposed to merging various bodies. Like most people I am in favour of streamlining the process. However, the proposal is that the waiting time will be three months as against the current 12 month and a move from three-person public hearings to one-person, one-to-one, private hearings. It is proposed that this will be more efficient and a better system and that it will deal with a lot of these problems. However, I am not quite sure how it could be. Will it mean fewer resources will be allocated? How can we be sure the targets will be achieved? What is the reason for believing the one-to-one hearing is preferable? I would like to hear more details about the proposals.

How does the Minister's Department propose to deal with companies hiding behind limited liability and shelf companies? This cannot continue. It is utterly unacceptable and it is happening all over the country. In the current climate it will continue and something has to be done about it.