Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I pay tribute to the staff of the key agencies who responded to the recent storm and the extraordinary circumstances in which they did so. While essential workers in those agencies, some of whom are volunteers, were required and provision was made for them, there were many people who were forced to go to work who are not essential workers. Many of them were asked by their employers, some of whom are paid directly or indirectly by the State and in other cases by private business, to turn up for work during severe weather alerts and that is not good enough. Workers need to know where they stand. The Taoiseach's reference earlier to flexibility seems to imply and infer that there was an understanding that those workers, if their employers so wished, could ignore the red weather alert. That is not good enough. Workers need clarity and this should be provided for legislatively.

See this speech in context