Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I tried to be careful with my words. I said clearly that it probably would not have helped the Debenhams workers.

The Minister of State should please not use his minute to be disingenuous.

There were six recommendations. Why were they not implemented? I asked that question in the context of confidence in this or any Government. I welcome the plan and that the Government will give us a date, but the Minister of State is telling me that there are other parts to be completed by the CLRG in September. Given various Government approaches to the Duffy Cahill report, I cannot have confidence that the review will be published in September. I want to work with the Minister of State, but his using his minute to misrepresent what I said is unacceptable. Have we learned anything from what happened to the Debenhams workers, the Connolly debacle, the Clerys debacle and many more besides?

I understand that Marks & Spencer is negotiating an agreement on redundancies. I will ask a specific question on the exclusion of people who were on sick leave for more than six months. Someone who has been out with Covid is excluded from participating in the voluntary redundancy scheme at Marks & Spencer. The Minister of State might reflect on that.

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