Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I am very disappointed to hear the dreaded words "the money message" used again against the majority will of the Dáil. This place goes from bad to worse when it stifles the democratic will of Deputies. It is extremely disappointing. There is also an element of scaremongering in the Minister's statement. Some of it can be quite credible but other stuff is quite bureaucratic and scaremongering.

I congratulate Senator Gavan and Deputy Brady for bringing forward the Bill. It has brought light to the hospitality sector with regard to tips. For my part, I thought tips would naturally go to the workers but that does not happen for one in three employees in the hospitality sector. People would consider that grossly unfair. Most workers in the hospitality sector are non-unionised and have precarious work and precarious hours. It is important, therefore, that the tips are fed down to the workers to subsidise their wages. That brings us to another argument, probably for another day, about a working wage in Ireland. Most workers in the hospitality sector will not earn that. That is another battle we need to fight on another day.

Other Members have mentioned that not all employers are bad. However, there are employers who abuse the tip system to their own ends financially and to rob workers of a fair gratuity paid by the customers for their service. It is important that this Bill gets across the line. One scratches one's head sometimes because one comes into this House to try to make a difference but whenever one tries to do that, a minority Government in this House tries to stifle the will of the majority of Deputies. Most people watching these proceedings will be quite confused and angry that this is being done continuously to stop progressive Bills and matters that could be very progressive when it comes to workers' rights.

It is important that this Bill go forward, but the concept of the money message is stifling democracy in this House.

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