Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)

Will the Taoiseach agree that because of a direct decision of the Government a number of jobs will be lost due to the sale of the Great Southern Hotel Group, including up to 400 in my constituency of south Kerry, in Parknasilla and Killarney? The Taoiseach knows many of these people personally and, given the service they have provided over the years to this country and to visitors to the country, they do not deserve this treatment. The Taoiseach said this morning that some of these properties will not be retained as hotels. Will he agree that the jobs that will be retained will be replaced by a non-unionised workforce who will be paid slave labour wages, which is what is happening in the service industry?

Will he also agree that the issue of pay and conditions in the service industry in general needs to be part of the partnership talks, and particularly the lack of labour inspectors? There are no labour inspectors to examine the pay and conditions in certain sectors of the service industry. Will the Taoiseach agree that this outrageous decision by the Government to sell the Great Southern Hotel Group could have the effect of derailing the partnership talks?

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