Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

On the same matter, these workers have been now out for seven months in the increasingly cold and wet weather on the picket lines. There is an increased danger with the threat of KPMG to walk away from the liquidation process. That is a threat not just to the workers but to the State. The simplest resolution here is for the State to step aside as a creditor and to use that money in order to make sure the workers get what they are owed.

I listened to the response of the Taoiseach yesterday to Deputy Gino Kenny. What the Taoiseach said was that this could create a situation where, effectively, companies could be incentivised to treat workers like this. What I would say back to him is that, in this case, Debenhams needed no such incentive and it treated its workers this way in any case. Second, if the Government implements the Duffy Cahill recommendations, as it has said it will, this situation would not arise.

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