Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

My apologies, Chairman, but just before we wrap up, I said at the start that this is very serious. As a committee, we have to look at this in greater depth. It is okay having witnesses in and to have the reports, but what use are we to those workers if we do not take these issues further? I suggested that we might have a few more hearings. I am not talking about a report for the sake of a report to sit on a shelf gathering dust. Could we start at the beginning as a committee because we have had the Irish Hotels Federation and the Restaurants Association of Ireland before us and they have raised their concerns with us about staff shortages and the connection with the pandemic unemployment payment, which is being thrown out of the water, in reality? Could we write to those organisations, in the first instance, on the issue of participation on JLCs? It is hard to have sympathy for organisations that appear before the committee looking for support, yet are not willing to engage with a committee that is for the benefit of their workers? Who will reap the benefit of such a committee? They will reap the benefits if they look after workers because the workers will enjoy working in the place with all of the benefits that stem from that. Can our committee write to those organisations first?