Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I would make a couple of points. This is a really important sector. Most involved in it would agree that section 481 funding is a good development and the sector needs this funding. Obviously, there is an element of dysfunction within the process that needs to be reformed.

Funnily enough, we have had SPI, the film board and SIPTU here with us, and while they have a radically different perspective than that which has been articulated here, in the main they would agree that there are certain problems with it that need to be resolved.

I will say there is a fractured nature to the trade unions representation in the sector and that is not good in trying to fix it. If there could be inter-union work to resolve the fractured nature of representation, it would benefit the workers. I am not laying blame on anybody here. I am merely saying that it would benefit the workers. It would probably make for an easier accommodation there too.

The major element of Mr. Arkins's argument here is the illegal nature of these agreements. Have those agreements been challenged in the courts as to their illegality? If these are illegal and if people are representing sectors of society without licence to do so, if they are getting involved in going outside the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 with regards to 66 hours and they are not negotiating with an individual worker, has there been an effort to challenge these agreements in the courts or in the WRC in their entirety?