Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

Some employers do not want to waste a good recession and many workers have been denied rights. The Taoiseach spoke eloquently about the Vita Cortex employees in Cork and said that what they wanted was respect. We saw similar situations in La Senza, Lagan Brick, Game, Vodafone, Irish Cement and Diageo. I understand that 25 workers currently occupy a call centre company, Éist agus Cuidiú Teo., in Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal, which has received substantial State funding. Has the Taoiseach raised any of these issues with the social partners or discussed steps that could be taken to avoid issues such as these?

Last week, a large delegation of workers from Lagan Brick was brought to Leinster House by Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin. The workers had been on strike for 206 days and they received unequivocal support from Deputies and Senators in all parties. A big company, Lagan Brick, refuses to give workers the dignity and respect they deserve. They are not asking for anything extraordinary. They are asking for their entitlements. The company needs to engage with the workers' union representatives and to agree to pay them their redundancy entitlements.

Has the Government discussed these issues with the social partners? People are being denied redundancy payments to which they are entitled and deserve. Has the Taoiseach discussed these matters with the social partners?

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