Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

I welcome the Taoiseach's forthright condemnation of what is going on. If the Taoiseach maintains this approach for the rest of the term, we could have useful exchanges here. At the end of all that, what does he intend to do about the issue? The last time the national implementation body met, Irish Ferries did not even attend. If the Taoiseach does not know any of the people in Irish Ferries, perhaps he would ask Gerry Hickey who knows all about it, although in fairness it did not happen while he was in the company. He will brief the Taoiseach on the pedigree of the people making these decisions.

On the question of displacement, is the Taoiseach concerned about the implications for social partnership and what will happen elsewhere? While I welcome migrant labour here, what will happen when the building industry winds down a little and when it seeks to displace workers in permanent jobs on trade union rates? What will happen if Aer Lingus wants to follow this example?

Whereas the Taoiseach is quite forthright in saying this is sharp practice and is unacceptable, I note that IBEC made a very forthright statement, to my surprise, supporting the disgraceful decision of Irish Ferries which was accidentally exposed during the summer as having employed a Filipino hairdresser at €1 per hour. One would not find such conditions in any slave factory in Dickens's time. It is utterly unacceptable. If this were to become the pattern of even a small number of other companies with the blessing of IBEC and the helplessness of the Government, it would be outrageous.

When is the advice from the Attorney General likely to be forthcoming? It would be an appalling scenario if it turns out that the men in Irish Ferries, and they are largely men, who believe in good faith that they will get redundancy after many years of service are not eligible. That matter needs to be clarified before Mr. Rothwell is allowed to go his merry way in establishing this disgraceful precedent in Irish industrial relations.

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