Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)

The bland phrases "hire workers without regard to their nationality", "view with great concern" and "the Taoiseach would like to see" are not the answer I hoped to get. I was hoping the Minister would give a crystal clear assurance that the Government is opposed to displacement. The Minister said that workers will be hired without regard to their nationality, but that is not what is happening. I have a communication from a constituent who applied for a job as a mushroom picker, but was told that only foreign nationals need apply. Can the Minister give me an unambiguous reply stating that he rejects the drive by certain employers and economists to make this State a low wage economy on the back of exploitation? That is the way we are heading and I would appreciate clarity on the issue.

Would the Minister accept that what Irish Ferries is doing is trying to bring us back to the 19th century? In the 19th century workers had to fight hard to achieve an eight-hour day. That was achieved by the 20th century in most states in Europe and in North America. Irish Ferries is trying to bring us back to a situation where the 12-hour day is the norm. Will the Minister tell me whether he is opposed to that type of activity by exploitative employers? In Norway, for example, there is an excellent relationship between employers and workers and the majority of workers, over 90%, are members of trade unions. Norway has a partnership process through which workers and employers create a better and more competitive economy. We should work towards a competitive economy, not the one some exploitative employers are currently trying to achieve.

See this speech in context