Brian Brennan (Wicklow-Wexford, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My first question is for Ms Clarke, Dr. Widdis, Dr. O'Connell and IBEC. I was in the hospitality business, with 600 people working for me. I know the issues of dealing with costs and all of that but what we are dealing with here is completely different. During my time in the hospitality business, I was lucky enough to go to Sri Lanka after the tsunami. Twenty years later and I have built six orphanages out there. I have lived in Sri Lanka for the past eight years. I see what is in the document and I feel what the witnesses are saying, but is this directive strong enough? There are two key issues. The first is that I have seen what goes on in factories in Asia. I am just taking Asia as an example. I know that the issue of workers' rights is replicated in South America and right across the world. What is going on around the world is horrific. I have been in factories in Brazil, where I went out of my way to see what was going on. It is a terrible saying, but I have skin in the game with this. I know exactly what is going on. How is this directive going to be implemented? There are penalties but how are they going to be implemented? Those are the questions I want the witnesses to reply to. Do the witnesses feel that the directive is strong enough? We can produce all the policies we want in these wonderful Chambers but if we cannot implement them and if people do not abide by them, does this mean that they are not strong enough?

I get the impression from Mr. Fitzpatrick that, similar to me, he feels the climate element is not strong enough. When I was the hospitality industry, I would always ask something who put a problem to me to give me his or her solution. I might not agree with it, but that is what I would love to hear. This applies to Dr. O'Connell as well. I will give everyone time to answer because I am conscious of time. I have total and utter admiration for what Dr. O'Connell and his team are doing on the ground. I have seen it at first hand. I was there 30 days after the tsunami, so I know exactly what is going on. They are the ones who will give us the answers.

To the witnesses from IBEC, the key words are "responsibility" and "sustainability". I know this contradicts what I just said, but I am putting my business hat on now. What is the cost to implement this, especially for the smaller business? A big company can suck up the cost but, as the witnesses well know, smaller businesses are being crippled. We need this but is there assistance?

We might start the answers with Ms Clarke, if she wants.