Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Baineann an cheist atá agam don Taoiseach inniu le cúrsaí fostaíochta. Is léir go bhfuil líon na ndaoine atá dífostaithe sa tír faoi láthair ag laghdú. Fáiltímid ar fad roimhe sin. Is léir freisin go bhfuil líon na ndaoine atá fostaithe ag ardú, go háirithe anseo sa chathair seo agus sna contaetha timpeall na cathrach. Nuair atáimid ag éisteacht leis an CSO, foghlaimímid go bhfuil a mhalairt ag tarlú in iarthar na tíre, sna ceantracha timpeall an Teorann agus i contaetha ar nós Loch Garman agus Port Láirge, áit ina bhfuil postanna fós á gcailliúnt.

In many areas outside the greater Dublin area, the retail sector continues to employ people and support employment in local communities. However, many of those jobs are part-time or otherwise temporary in nature. Dunnes Stores is our largest indigenous retailer with 107 stores nationwide, employing about 5,000 people. Many of those are in part-time, temporary employment. Some 76% of Dunnes Stores' employees are on flexible employment contracts.

In the past 30 minutes, as the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Fitzgerald, completed the passage through this House of the marriage equality legislation, I was struck by the fact that such equality is exceedingly difficult for people working in Dunnes Stores. That is because those working there on zero-hour contracts cannot face into marriage and cannot get a mortgage. Among the many difficulties of operating on a zero-hour contract is that they cannot even enter into a rental agreement.

The workers have engaged with the Labour Relations Commission but Dunnes Stores, as their employer, has refused to engage. What will the Taoiseach, his Government and more particularly the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Bruton, do about this most unacceptable situation that primarily affects women?

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