Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I wish to take this opportunity to wish John a very long, happy and healthy retirement.

I wish to raise with the Tánaiste the issue of the Debenhams workers, now out for six months. Yesterday KPMG wrote to Mandate. It said it was willing to offer a commitment to notify Mandate at least two hours in advance of the times when and the stores which the liquidators intend to enter for delivery of packing materials or removal of stock. KPMG broke that undertaking in the middle of the night in the Henry Street store. Mandate has responded to KPMG and is seeking that it will proactively re-engage. The workers in Debenhams have been given tea and sympathy and pats on the back. We all agree they have been treated disgracefully, but they are six months out, and now we find that KPMG has gone into the stores and broken an undertaking it gave to the workers. Will the Tánaiste join me in condemning the actions of KPMG? Will he pick up the phone to the trade union, the workers and KPMG and convene a meeting? That is what is needed at this stage. This will not be resolved until such stage as the parties meet, but there were developments overnight that require the Tánaiste's urgent attention.

See this speech in context