Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 17 December 2019

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community

Traveller Employment: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Fintan WarfieldFintan Warfield (Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I thank everyone for giving their time to come here today. I agree with everything Mr. Friel said. We hear so much about diversity in the workplace, particularly in the corporate sector, we could use up forests full of paper on it but, as Senator Ruane said, the workplace is not so diverse even if it has a wide range of genders, races and sexual orientation but everyone is middle class. There are companies that pour thousands of euro into the Dublin LGBT Pride march. In addition to thequid pro quofor companies in receipt of State funding there should be a quid pro quo attached to the low corporation tax rate because the result of it is no money for mental health services, housing or social protection. We are talking about companies that channel profits worth €18 billion through this city and State at the expense of the services we need. I am glad that the Irish Business Employers Confederation, IBEC, will be here next week because I will raise this with its representatives.