Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will be brief in speaking to this Bill and the priorities of this Government, in particular the priorities of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael and, unbelievably, the Green Party. Today, the workers of Debenhams have been 251 days on picket lines. Nine years ago, Vita Cortex workers engaged in a sit-in for 131 days to get a fair redundancy. At that time, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael told the Vita Cortex workers, "This will never happen again". Nine years later, Debenhams workers are being shafted because Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael will not bring in legislation yet we are here now at midnight discussing legislation for speculators, fund managers, the rich and the mega wealthy. What about the workers? What about the Debenhams workers and all of the other workers for whom Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have done nothing?

Earlier today, the Taoiseach said that we did not bail out the banks. I do not know where he got that from. Maybe I have been on a different planet for years. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael bailed out the banks but they never bail out the people. Ordinary people are struggling, especially now more than at any other time. It is about time that the Government brought forward legislation that makes a difference to ordinary people, makes their lives better, makes their families' lives better and makes our country better.

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