Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I again invite the Taoiseach to call on FIFA to issue an ultimatum to the Qatari regime and authorities that if there is not an immediate verifiable transformation in the grotesque exploitative conditions of workers, particularly those of migrant workers, it will withdraw the awarding of the World Cup to Qatar.

Does he agree this would be a powerful pressure point on this regime that could transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of grotesquely exploited workers?

He is right. We had it here. We had it with GAMA Construction, not to that extent, thankfully, but still pretty severe. However, through the pressure and outrage of ordinary working people and advocacy and strike action by those workers, they did get a fair measure of justice, though not the full measure by any means, and transformed horrific conditions into something approaching a workers' rights situation. Does the Taoiseach not agree this would be a huge achievement to bring about? Will he simply allow the interests of doing business and profit-seeking by private corporations, whether they are Irish or from elsewhere, to stop him from making such a call?

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