Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)

Given that budget day is next week, does he not have an obligation to tell us what will happen?

Mr. Rothwell has the cheek to refer to the labour relations mechanisms and state the company has been back and forth to the Labour Court, the Labour Relations Commission and the national implementation body. The direct opposite is the truth because it was he who told all those involved in the labour relations mechanisms to go to hell and that he had enough of them. He begins his article with such a quote. His behaviour has been outrageous and disgraceful and his article is a tissue of lies.

The Taoiseach is directly responsible for this impasse. Instead of wringing his hands, he should have taken action on some of the fiscal and other matters I have mentioned. He had the opportunity to use our labour Bill, the Mercantile Marine (Avoidance of Flags of Convenience) Bill, to draw a line through an international convention. Our advice is that it is perfectly legal. We could pass that Bill this evening before this session ends, just as he passed the commercial property Bill some months ago to protect our property. Let us protect our workers. They are surely as valuable as our property. Let us pass the Labour Party mercantile marine Bill and make reflagging impossible.

The Taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, is personally responsible for this. For six years he had the opportunity to do something in Europe when the ferries directive was being discussed. The directive would have obliged shipping companies to adhere to the pay and conditions applicable in the countries between which the companies' ships were sailing, that is, France or Ireland or Britain. Fianna Fáil Ministers, including the former Ministers, Senator O'Rourke and Deputy Woods, and the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, were among a cabal of right-wing European Ministers who stopped that proposal when it was discussed between 1998 and 2004.

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