Eamonn Maloney (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

In common with my colleagues in the House and with the wider public in Dublin and throughout the country, I am appalled at the treatment of the Clerys workers. For many people it is reminiscent of what happened in this city just over 100 years ago. It is nothing short of disgraceful, for want of a better word, and it highlights the shortcomings of our legislation. The people involved were too smart by far in terms of abusing the existing company law in this jurisdiction. Deputies know we cannot rewrite law and make it effective retrospectively so we should not mislead the Clerys workers in this regard.

Fortunately, we should be grateful it is not the sort of case that happens too often here. Notwithstanding that, it highlights that we, as legislators, have to do things that would prevent this sort of thing happening to workers in any industry. It is an appalling situation. I have received representations, as no doubt have all Members of the House. I commend the Tánaiste on the speed with which the Department of Social Protection has dealt with these people who have been dealt a low blow. Everybody believes in loyalty to the place where they work but there was no loyalty shown in this case.

People talk about the iconic building. Some of us who come from a particular political tradition do not associate the building so much with Clerys. Some of us have images of Jim Larkin on the balcony at the top of that building when it was the Imperial Hotel, partly owned by William Martin Murphy. While he may be gone, there is a bit of his legacy hanging around and these people are exercising that legacy.

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