Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

Five minutes ago, I asked the Minister what steps she was prepared to take given that a major international retail company is organising a trade union busting campaign under her nose. In response, she read a script which did not answer my question. I will repeat my question and in doing so I ask the Minister to answer it when she replies again. What measures is she prepared to take and what legislation does she intend to bring before the House to prevent union-busting of this type?

Many Tesco workers are in receipt of family income supplement as a result of the low wages paid by the company. As the jostling in the Fine Gael Party continues to see who will be its next leader and the next Taoiseach, the name of the Minister for Social Protection, who has responsibility for family income supplement, is in lights at the moment. Is the Minister prepared to state that she will call clearly and cleanly on the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that the family income supplement payment of not one worker will be affected while he or she is on strike? The company would like it to be affected to break and undermine the strike.

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