Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I do not know whether the Taoiseach read the Oxfam report published before last year's Davos conference. It warned against global inequality and pointed out that the richest 1% would own more than the rest of the world's population by next year. At last year's Davos meeting, Oxfam reported that the 85 richest persons on the planet had the same wealth as the poorest 50% or 3.5 billion people. Inequality and the poverty that grows from it, I would argue, is the greatest threat to human progress and stability.

Looking at our own place, the Taoiseach should learn from what Oxfam has said. His Government has introduced dreadful policies without any consideration for the social consequences. There is no equality proofing. There is no attention paid to concerns being raised from the Opposition benches and perhaps, for all I know, from within the Government's ranks. The Taoiseach states we are in a recovery. Is that evident in public services, workers' rights, decent work for decent wages, terms and conditions and the eradication of poverty? No doubt these issues were debated and discussed at Davos, but one need only look at our own place, at the treatment of workers at Clerys and other workplaces in recent years during this recovery. One need only look at the plight of the Dunnes Stores workers as evidence of the failure of the Government - the Minister of State responsible is beside the Taoiseach - and Labour to introduce laws as it comes to the end of its term to protect workers.

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