Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Perhaps the committee should look at that issue. I know it is not the long-term solution but it would certainly help address the immediate problem if the age limit of 70 were extended to 72 or 73. It is hard to be prescriptive about age but all it would take is somebody over 70 to have an accident through ill health or whatever and everybody would be up in arms. The committee should certainly pursue that. While it is not the long-term solution, it might help in the short term.

As with any walk of life, we probably have to look at the quality of the job too. For some, it is a part-time role and they are prepared to hop in and hop out of it. However, it also comes down to pay and this is not meant to be in any way negative towards the witnesses who are operating in the market. If the market changed, they would change with it. It is the same with many aspects of life, and Covid-19 has provided an insight into that. When I talk to people who ran or attempted to run restaurants and pubs, they now accept that the model of employment in the hospitality sector just was not suitable. It suited the consumer because people could have a relatively cheap meal, entertainment and hospitality but it hollowed out the industry because it did not build competency and people were not prepared to remain in it long term. A factor of competition is that it can put downward pressure on wages and also put pressure on individuals. Ultimately, one will hit a stumbling block where an industry is no longer attractive due to the changing circumstances in the economy.

In the construction sector there are sectoral agreements across certain disciplines under which workers have to reach a certain pay grade. Has that issue been discussed? Do the witnesses have a view on it?

Has Mr. Conway seen anything about those sectoral agreements? Is it being talked about? Does he have a view on it?