Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

For quarter 4 of 2017, the increase in employment was 66,800 new jobs. This represents an increase in full-time employment of 90,000 new jobs, which as an increase of 5.4%. We had a decrease in part-time employment of 23,000, which is 4.8%. The recovery is producing more full-time decent paid jobs and reducing the number of part-time jobs which we are here trying to protect and improve.

Whenever I am in this House I have the height of respect for people who sit across from me and beside me. I never make personal insults because they are cheap and show how shallow one is in making one's argument in the first instance. Some of the language that has been used has let down Members opposite. If they want to argue with passion about what they believe, they should stick to the core subject and leave aside the petty remarks because they do not do them do justice.

I appreciate what Deputies Clare Daly and Joan Collins are trying to achieve. In many ways, I support what they are trying to do, but introducing legislation for one particular retail outlet when that legislation will impact every employee and employer in the country does not make good law. Deputy Joan Collins mentioned that her premise is to try to protect people. The penalisation provisions in the organisation of working time directive already do what the Deputy is trying to achieve. If anybody is being impinged or infringed in terms of the examples she has given, the Labour Court and the Workplace Relations Commission exist to protect them.

The nonsense did not come from me. If the Deputy ever meets Kevin Foley, it is to him the apology is owed, not me.

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