Séamus Healy (Tipperary South, Workers and Unemployed Action Group)

Earlier, I heard the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, invoke the name of James Connolly. The Labour Party has nothing in common with James Connolly, the great trade unionist, socialist and republican who gave his life for the working classes. There is no doubt but that James Connolly would turn in his grave if he saw the savage attacks the Government, and the Labour Party in particular, has made against working people such as the dismantling of the social welfare system last week by the Minister for Social Protection – Minister for social destruction might be a better name – the sale of State assets and the targeting of the vulnerable coping classes, namely middle and low-income families. This is all happening while the super-rich get off scot free.

I support this Bill which is a reasonable and genuine attempt to support workers who find themselves in difficulty when laid off without notice. I commend Sinn Féin on bringing it forward. There may well be flaws in it but the legislative process is there to iron out these. Last week's social welfare Bill contained a significant number of amendments which effectively meant it was a new Bill by the time it passed Committee Stage. It is not unusual for Bills to be amended during their passage through the House.

The Bill aims to assist laid-off workers who have worked all their lives, paid their taxes and are entitled to a fair shake from the State. Currently, 29,000 redundancy claims are stuck in a queue while it takes 18 months for a case to get to the employment appeals tribunal and six months to the Labour Court. These are unacceptable delays. This Bill makes a reasonable and genuine effort to deal with those.

See this speech in context