Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We live in strange times. I was re-elected in February, and this is the first opportunity I have had to speak in the new Dáil. I thank those who trusted me with their vote in the election in Limerick city and the parts of Tipperary I represent. I thank them very much and I will do my best to represent them as best I can.

As I said, we live in strange and difficult times. I thank all the people at home who have observed the advice we have given them, and done their best to flatten the curve and make sure people are safe and lives are saved. As the Minister will be well aware, I am constantly fighting for better conditions in working facilities, and for the staff in University Hospital Limerick in particular. The staff do incredible work there, including doctors, nurses and porters and support staff who are vital during these hard times. I thank all those people in particular. In addition, I also thank those who work in our supply companies, food shops, transport and delivery services, pharmacies and others keeping the show on the road. Their work often goes unnoticed and undervalued but it is essential work and should be treated as such by the Government going forward.

As my party's spokesperson on workers' rights, I want to raise three key issues. As time is limited I will keep it short so she will have time to answer. First, can the Minister outline her plans to ensure workers will be safe when they return to work? For instance, will businesses be legally obliged to provide hand sanitiser, Perspex glass and other protective equipment? What legal protections will workers have if employers do not provide these items?

My second question relates to protections for those working from home. It is estimated that approximately 90% of employees are now working from home, based on a recent survey byirishjobs.ie. Some 44% of those surveyed said they were now working longer hours than previously, while many have an additional workload and others said they were finding it hard to turn off. We need legislation to govern this area, and not just in the context of this crisis. This will lead to a change in the way people work and many will find themselves working from home in the future. This is not just about the crisis we are going through at the moment. The country and the world have changed and we need to legislate to make sure we are protecting those workers. For instance, we need to make sure they have a law on the right to disconnect. Can the Minister update me on the Government's position on protecting those workers who will end up working from home?

Finally, can the Minister update the House on plans to introduce a living wage, as set out in Fine Gael's joint document with Fianna Fáil? I have been raising this issue with her for a number of years, as well as with her predecessors. The Thirty-second Dáil passed a motion supporting a living wage last October and I am delighted that the Government has seen the light and followed Sinn Féin's lead on this. We have published our own plan on how we would implement it while protecting financially vulnerable businesses. Can the Minister put some meat on the bones of the Government's plan to introduce a living wage, about which we have read a lot in the media? Is it just an aspiration on paper which the Government has no intention of reaching? The Minister might answer my questions now, or if not, she might send me a written response.

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