John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The second question I want to put relates to women returning from maternity leave. The Minister will be aware that last week the National Women's Council of Ireland referred the exclusion of women returning from maternity leave from accessing the wage subsidy scheme to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. The NWCI believes that the Government's exclusion of women from maternity leave is not in compliance with the Maternity Protection Act 1994, which provides that women on maternity leave are entitled to be treated as if they had been at work during their maternity leave. I agree with that view. It appears that Government is acting contrary to legislation. I listened to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, today when he said he was examining it. Government needs to move further than that and needs to implement an end to the discrimination these women are facing. Will the Minister assure us that measures will be taken immediately to ensure the discrimination ends? Perhaps the Minister can answer that towards the end because so many women are being discriminated against.

Discrimination is rife throughout these payments. We have the issue around those over 66 years of age, who have been precluded from the pandemic unemployment payment, as well as frontier workers and cross-border workers. There seems to be some confusion. The Department's website states that frontier workers can access the payment. That is causing confusion. I have raised this consistently, as has my party leader, Deputy McDonald. It is discriminatory. These people have paid their taxes in this State but they are excluded from the payment. This serious issue needs to end and there needs to be clarity on the Department's website, which states that frontier workers can access this payment. That needs to be clarified.

I want to finish up by asking about Debenhams. This is a serious concern. We are dealing with 1,000 workers throughout the State. Since the devastating news that the Irish business has been placed into liquidation, there have been several requests by Mandate Trade Union to have the 30-day consultation period extended to ascertain whether redundancies can be avoided. Unfortunately, KPMG has refused the request to allow the period to be extended. Given the distinct possibility that the State insolvency fund will be utilised in the event of 1,000 workers being made redundant, I believe the Minister must exercise the powers at her discretion and in accordance with section 15 of the Protection of Employment Act. This provision is important and states, "For the purpose of seeking solutions to the problems caused by the proposed redundancies, the employer concerned shall, at the Minister's request, enter into consultations with him or an authorised officer." Has the Minister invoked that section? If not, why not? Will the Minister invoke that legislation? I believe it is important that she does. A great deal of information has been highlighted about assets being stripped from the company etc. Will the Minister act upon that? The workers in Debenhams gave me a letter and asked me to hand it to the Minister. Perhaps after the sitting I will pass it on to her.

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