Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am also delighted to speak to this Bill, about which I have mixed feelings. I totally agree that a tip is meant for the staff, the waiters, kitchen staff or whoever. Deputy Healy-Rae spoke about being given a tip when he was younger. I also often cut hay but we would not have as many stones in Tipperary as they have in Kerry, so I could get in closer to the ditches with the mowing bar than Kerry fellows, but one could do more damage. However, on a serious note, I am concerned this might be a cynical move by Sinn Féin. Having read the recommendations of the report of the Low Pay Commission, it stated this could be unimplementable and found that it could have unintended negative consequences.

That is something I have found out since I came up here. We pass legislation every day. As soon as it gets dark every night, we have legislation. The unintended consequences can be very serious. We should make haste, or make hay if we get the weather this year, slowly.

Certainly, the tips are for the worker. I vehemently dislike big business and what has happened. Capitalism was mentioned and I do not disagree with what was said. With all the big takeovers, with all the land being bought up in my own county and with the Goodman empire in beef, now we have the chains. There is one not far out the front gate here, down the street and across the road on the corner. I am told that is where there is a huge problem. It is a big chain industry, with queues out the door. It is disgraceful, if they do not pass on the tips. The tips are made with good will.

I was in America for Paddy's day, Lá Fhéile Pádraig, and one is expect to tip there. One is not expected to tip here in Ireland, but we do tip. If we get a good, decent and nice person serving, if that person looks after us as best he or she can, and everything is fine, we give a tip. It is with good will. It is in good taste. It is a good gesture. Why not?

The staff in the restaurant - I have been in there this evening - have a food tasting involving wonderful Irish fare from all over the country, including County Kerry, west Cork and counties Tipperary and Donegal. The staff who work in these Houses never get a tip and they look after us all very well.

I often get a tip from my colleagues to shut up and sit down because a Deputy wants to speak.

I am only saying we should consider this legislation carefully. I will not be able to support it because I do not want unintended consequences where the tips would be included for tax purposes. As the Taoiseach stated this morning, they could be included to deny a person getting a medical card, the bus pass or carer's allowance. We must be very careful.

It might look grand. I welcome it coming up from the Seanad to here. I welcome the research on it. However, we must be careful to make hay, as I said, slowly and make good rather than bad legislation.

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