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

From everything I have heard from the Minister I do not doubt her sincerity, but I am a complete opponent of a system that exploits all workers. Since I joined the Dáil I have been on my feet, along with other Deputies, defending workers' rights, from Luas drivers to teachers to nurses to Tesco workers to Dunnes Stores workers. There is a system of exploitation of workers that is at the heart of this society and beyond. This leads to people being impoverished and living in the circumstances exposed by the report on inequality published yesterday. It leads to people taking measures to find an income which are often distasteful to many of us, not necessarily always distasteful to those who take the measures but distasteful to broader society. We should not have to see anybody put in this position. We need far more equality in society and this is not just something that we legislate for by passing nice words, it is how we implement it in deed. These deeds must be about sharing the wealth and economic opportunities available to anybody.

The Minister spoke about the exit strategy for those engaged in sex work and the opportunities that should be given to them through education. Twice yesterday, a serious cohort was mentioned as there is a rise in sex work by students. If we were to graph it we would probably find a similar trajectory on the graph with the rise of student poverty. Students are being impoverished because of enormous fees, including registration fees, the lack of grant support and the enormous rents they must pay to be able to live in a city or town to be a student. Many of them supplement their income with sex work. I regard the legislation as a whole as being totally inappropriate. I will vote against it and against the amendment on the three-year report because I do not think it is sufficient.

See this speech in context