Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Does the Taoiseach agree the decision by members of SIPTU to reject the Croke Park II deal represents an earthquake of opposition in the labour movement to the policies of austerity? I ask, given this is a union that, wrongly in my opinion, has gone along with partnership deals with the Government for many years. In this case, while it recommended this deal, on the Taoiseach's encouragement, it has been rejected by the largest trade union in the country and as a consequence, the ICTU will reject the Croke Park II proposals. Is it not a stinging indictment of the failure of the Economic Management Council, which is charged with recommending overall economic policy, that the heart of the labour movement has said "No" to what the Government is proposing, as its members cannot take any more? Is it not time for an emergency meeting of the Economic Management Council to consider seriously what organised working people in this country are telling the Government about the impact of its policies on them and on the economy?

The Taoiseach also spoke on the issue of mortgage arrears and the Government's seriousness in addressing it.

In the last few weeks, in particular, I have been inundated with representations from people from across the spectrum of Irish society, including older people and couples in many cases, who have worked all their lives but where one person in the household or sometimes both have lost their jobs and who are attempting to engage with the banks as the Taoiseach has encouraged them to do. The banks are telling them that they should sell their homes. These people are engaging with the banks but the banks are telling them they will not give them a write-down of their debt and will only consider it if the people concerned will consider selling their family home. That is what is being reported to me and in phone calls to my office by constituents. Despite all the talk that there will be a resolution, that the banks will be fair, that distressed mortgage holders will be treated well and all the energy the Government claims it is deploying on this issue, ultimately the banks are simply saying: "We want our pound of flesh and if you have to lose your family home, so be it". That is what is happening. Will the Taoiseach address this?

Finally, the Taoiseach mentioned JobBridge and the committee on JobBridge. Concerns were expressed that JobBridge might be used to displace existing jobs, and evidence is beginning to emerge that this is happening. The Ballyogan depot is run by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. In the last few weeks workers who were employed by contractors employed by the Oxigen company have been let go. They had to train people in the JobBridge scheme to take over their jobs. We, the public, are now paying wages for a private company where previously it had to employ people directly. This is a shocking abuse of what is supposed to be a scheme to get people back to work. It appears it is being used by companies as a means to get free labour, paid for by the public, and to displace existing jobs. The committee should examine this case and seriously assess whether the JobBridge scheme is being abused on a widespread basis in such a disgraceful way. If it is, as the evidence presented to me suggests, it is a very serious issue for the committee dealing with that scheme.

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