Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The areas with many low paid and casual workers including the retail sector. What steps, if any, has the Department, or other Departments involved, taken to insist on minimum standards and minimum conditions? During the tenure of the previous Government, we had a controversy about sectoral standards and agreements and it still seems very confusing. People speak about a race to the bottom. There is no question that cheaper food prices with the entry into the market of companies such as Lidl and Aldi have had a huge impact on the retail sector. We need urgent action. Very misleading information was placed on the Department of Social Protection's website on the entitlement of workers to the family income supplement. It is extraordinary that people who are working in this sector must rely on social welfare payments. It was a very bad mistake by the Department and the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar.

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