Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

It is now, incredibly, day 180 of the Debenhams dispute. The Taoiseach has promised that the Government would legislate to rectify the sort of situation that the Debenhams workers find themselves in. When does he propose to do that? Even if such legislation is enacted, it will not resolve the situation for the Debenhams workers. What proposals are provided for in the legislation that will surround the budget or are to be introduced in the short term to address the situation? The workers have proposed, among other things, that a fund be set up, financed by a levy imposed on companies to pay for redundancy. Given the failure of successive Governments to legislate for the Duffy Cahill report, why does the Government not take up the Debenhams workers' proposal and put some money into that fund in order that the Debenhams workers can get their two plus two, which can be paid for by the future contributions of employers who should, as a legal requirement, have to pay a levy into a redundancy fund?

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