Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Baineann an leasú seo le cearta teanga, cearta oibtithe agus cearta comhionnanais. We have outlined on Committee Stage how RTÉ is paying Irish language workers up to 25% less for the same work as their English-speaking counterparts. This is discrimination, pure and simple, and it is unacceptable. We have a chance to enshrine equal pay for equal work in the law. It has been done in many other areas but if this level of discrimination was to take place on any other grounds, it would be considered scandalous and be dealt with in legislation.

The Minister, Deputy Martin, said it would be inappropriate to introduce legislative provisions in this regard but if legislation is not an appropriate place to prohibit discrimination, where is? I am glad that the Minister has written to RTÉ in this regard but it is too little too late. I am informed that the matter was first raised with RTÉ in the year 2000 yet the broadcaster has the nerve to tell Deputies that it had not been made aware of the issue. The review of pay scales is already under way and Dee Forbes stated clearly to the Dáil Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media that the review will not consider the issue of different pay based on the language of work. This is not a matter of editorial or operational independence for RTÉ but it is workers in Raidió na Gaeltachta being treated less for being Irish speakers, working in the Irish language, serving Irish speakers, and it cannot go on.

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