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

I appreciate that. However, when organising workers, in particular those who are vulnerable, low-paid workers and workers in an environment where there is a lot of transition, time is of the essence. It is very hard when someone is convinced to join the union but their boss does not want them to join the union. We have to stand with them but it becomes very difficult to stay with them at every step of the process. There will have to be some fairly compelling reasons in order to deter an employer from going all the way to the court on this. If workers lose faith in this process, it will not work. If it does not deliver for low-income workers, that would be the ultimate test. I would like to see us being a little more ambitious. I understand we have two years but that should not be the target; it should be the absolute limit.

With regard to the corporate sustainability due diligence directive that is being negotiated by the EU member states in the Council of the European Union, what is our position on this directive? We have played a good role globally as a champion for human rights but the question is whether we are willing to do the same when it comes to human rights and business. Are we going to push for greater ambition from the European Union in regard to this directive? Are we working with other progressive states within the European Union to shape this directive?