Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Is history repeating itself? We have had centenary commemorations in recent years. I attended an event commemorating of 100 years of volunteers in Granagh last Monday night. We have had the case of Debenhams workers and companies like Debenhams are taking their profits from this country and using the laws against people in Ireland who have worked to feed their families and have paid their taxes. The Debenhams workers, who have stood on the doors of the company's premises for the last 400 days, are volunteers. Not only are they fighting for their colleagues but they are fighting for every other person employed under the same rules and laws. We cannot allow this happen again. Those Debenhams workers protested for more than 400 days and nights, while their families worried about their redundancy packages on the basis of that work. Those workers have worked to support the country and the Government but yet we have allowed this to happen. We have been able to introduce legislation during the Covid pandemic just like that, but we could not introduce proper legislation to protect the Debenhams workers and other workers like them. I do not want to see history repeating itself. We cannot allow this happen not only to the Debenhams workers but to any other workers in a similar situation. We need to close the door and make sure that Ireland and our people are represented regardless of where in the world companies investing in this country are based.

See this speech in context