John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this debate. Having listened to the contributions, no politician has a monopoly on the outrage of what has happened to the Debenhams workers. No politician has a monopoly on disgust at how a company can treat people who have worked more than 30 years of their lives for it, giving it incredible service. Several Members this evening made assumptions and pedalled the line that Government and Fianna Fáil politicians are doing nothing. I have seen it before in my constituency and elsewhere this idea that protests solve everything.

Some of the politicians from the hard left namechecked parties on what they call the right. I am not a right of centre politician. What laws did People Before Profit ever get passed in this House in favour of workers' rights? What rights did Sinn Féin ever get passed in this House that benefited workers?

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