Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

I remind Members that the biggest scandal of exploitation of migrant labour in the history of the State — the Gama case — was carried out under the regime of work permits. Members have also witnessed many other examples during that time. Naturally, the Government's attack on the Labour Party leader has been completely hypocritical.

While we need a strengthening of inspectors and laws protecting workers' rights, we especially need the wider labour movement and the trade union movement to launch a militant campaign to expose and isolate bosses who would exploit either migrant or Irish workers. We have a swathe of low-paid Irish workers who are being hugely exploited in our society. An energetic and imaginative campaign of organising the unorganised workers, be they migrants or Irish-born, is how we will build a strong united movement of the working class in this country. That is the only real answer to the attempts now being made by the European Commission and by governments throughout Europe which are supported by the Government.

Therefore, molaim an rún seo agus an grúpa a chuir os comhair na Dála é. Tháinig pointí an-tábhachtacha trasna sa díospoireacht, go háirithe faoi chearta an lucht oibre sa tír seo, ina measc cearta oibrithe a thagann ón dtaobh amuigh — imircigh. Tá sé an-tábhachtach ar fad, agus molaim an rún mar a bhí sé i dtosach don Dáil.

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