Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

When in the next 30 days will the Minister attend the House to attempt to justify the extension of the FEMPI legislation? It must be renewed before 30 June if the Government wishes to renew it. I have tabled a motion which is on today's clár calling for its repeal. On day one when it was introduced in 2009, we were told that we were in a state of emergency and that the Government needed to introduce emergency legislation to reduce public sector workers' pay. I have just looked up whose was the famous quote, "Never let a good crisis go to waste," but it has been attributed to a few people, including Winston Churchill and Rahm Emanuel, both of whom stated one could do things in a crisis that one would not normally get away with. One could argue that we were in a crisis in 2009, but the Taoiseach's party has been declaring since the general election that we are now in recovery. That recovery is being felt by some but not by the majority and certainly not by workers. The repeal of the FEMPI legislation would mark the beginning of what we believe would be payback for workers. If we are in recovery, why do we need emergency legislation and why will we continue to penalise public sector workers after 30 June? The penalties are significant and mean that many of them cannot afford to put a decent roof over their heads during what is an accommodation crisis. There would be a major payback for the economy were public servants to have their pay restored, as they could spend it in the local economy and begin to generate activity. It is important to know, therefore, whether the Government intends to extend this emergency and repressive legislation. If it continues one of its hallmark emergency Acts that is punitive for the public sector while claiming that the economy is in recovery, it does not bode well in seeking to build confidence in the economy.

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