Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is the tenth anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and our own financial and construction sector collapse which caused so much suffering and unemployment, the loss of trade and the collapse of many businesses for families and individuals across Ireland. The Taoiseach referred to threats to the international economy and the risk of a trade war, obviously something he does not want, but the two greatest threats to the economy are the inability of the Government, despite its good intentions, which I acknowledge, to get to grips with the housing issue and its inability to get to grips with the health issue. The Government is hapless in dealing with both, notwithstanding its genius for spin. Did the Taoiseach consider asking the IMF to provide the Government with advice on how to get to grips with the housing and health issues? We received some advice from the IMF in the past, some of which was very difficult, while some, in particular in addressing unemployment and getting people back to work, was quite helpful.

The Taoiseach referred to the gender pay gap. Why is the Government restricting the companies which will be subject to the gender pay gap legislation to those with 250 employees or more? Why can we not start with companies with 50 employees or more, as has happened in our neighbouring country, the United Kingdom? There is no rational basis to so heavily restricting our approach to companies having to publish information on why women are so significantly underpaid.

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