Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I would like to ask Captain Cullen and others if they have any specific questions they would like us to put to a company that had a German prosecutor go to the British authorities to ask them to do something about this. An interesting point is that the German and British authorities are much keener to track down bogus self-employment and will do things like co-operate with each other, take people to court and so on. This is because the social insurance contribution of an employer in Europe is much higher than it is in Ireland. We have one of the lowest contributions and, therefore, our Government can turn a blind eye. The former Minister for Social Protection, before he became Taoiseach on the back of his “Welfare cheats cheat us all” slogan, when he was going after the low hanging fruit, could have gone after companies that actually cheat us all and practices that actually do us down, given a huge amount of revenue is forgone through bogus self-employment practices. The witnesses today have shown that very clearly and very well.

I would like the Unite representatives to tell us if they have the names of the contractors or providers of labour at both the national children's hospital and some of the schools they mentioned that were part of the expenditure of public money where these employment practices are happening.

I would also ask Ms Godkin about the English language teaching, ELT, situation. All of us would be familiar with people in this position because we have met them and they have given presentations and have been outside the Dáil. There is an intention by the State to invest something like €2 billion in students and language for the future. This is very evident in my constituency, where something like 4,000 student accommodation rooms are being built against the will of the local population in Dublin 8, and this is repeated in Dublin 1. The planning laws are being relaxed and money is being put into this. Although Unite has referred to legislation, how can we, as a trade union movement, challenge this in some way, rather than it just being seen as a matter for legislation? Do the witnesses agree that, at some point, either through ICTU or activity between teachers, builders and pilots, some form of action should be taken by those who are victims of these practices to try to put manners on these companies?

I want to go back to my line of questioning with Captain Cullen before the Chair interrupted me. He said that something like 800 companies are involved in this bogus employment practice. Are those 800 companies spread out through several airlines or is it all Ryanair?