Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Irish labour law and Irish regulations can and will be applied to workers from other member states, or from outside the European Community. Furthermore, the Taoiseach has signalled publicly and in direct discussion with the trade union movement, that we are prepared to strengthen the provisions to secure employment protection in the Irish labour market and to engage fully with them in that regard. As I have already indicated, there have been useful discussions at political and official level already in that respect.

There can be no doubt about the position of the Government. It deplores the behaviour of the management of Irish Ferries.

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