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

Momentum has built behind the Bill. I commend Senator Paul Gavan and his team for this initiative. I also commend ONE Cork, ONE Galway and all the people involved in the hospitality sector who have generated this momentum. This momentum has, albeit belatedly and hurriedly, prompted the Government to bring forward proposals. Amidst that momentum, there is a fair bit of discussion, a fair bit of interest and a few reactions. Among the people to whom I talk, there is significant surprise that there is no legal protection for people to their tips. Of course, one category of people who are not a bit surprised are those who work in the hospitality sector.

It is a tough job for many people. They often have to face unpleasant and rude customers, they have short-hours contracts, they could be on low pay and there are all sorts of other issues. The least they deserve is to keep the tips the customer intended to give them. It is common sense. It is a very simple Bill. I cannot imagine any good reason in the world that the Government or anyone else would vote against this. I know Fianna Fáil supported it in the Seanad and I hope it supports it in this House. This is a Bill with broad support.

This is a category of workers who are often vulnerable. Their average earnings per week are €320 compared to the average industrial wage of €697. Very often, these tips can be the difference between being able to manage rent for the month or being able to pay the electricity bill or whatever other bill.

It is correct, as Deputy Brady said, that good employers have nothing to fear from this Bill. However, bad employers, who deprive employees of something they are rightfully entitled to, should be nervous. The Government should have no place in defending this. The Bill contains the word “theft”, rightly, because it is theft of tips that were fairly and squarely earned by these people working in the hospitality sector. It is a large category of people. I urge the Minister to reconsider this and I am sure she has been contacted by many people in the hospitality industry. This is a good Bill and it deserves to be progressed. I am glad it went through the Seanad with cross-party support. The Minister is in the wrong position on this. I hope she revises that and gives these people in the hospitality industry their due and their tips.

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