Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is hard to believe that this is still ongoing. We had the broadcaster before the Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport and Media and various other committees and it is just blatant about this. It fobbed us off by saying it was carrying out a review. We asked whether this specific issue would be under review and it said yes. The broadcaster did not come back to us on the issue and we had to chase it up with it. The broadcaster then said the issue was not under review and is deliberately ignoring the fact.

I would be very surprised if the Minister were to allow this to continue, with a State and public broadcaster allowing pay disparity between workers, where one section of workers is being paid 25% less because of the language they work in. As far as I can remember, the Minister was to make contact with the broadcaster and I would hope that it would not fob the Minister off the way in which it fobbed off the committee, and that she will direct the broadcaster, so to speak. She will not be interfering in any broadcast matter in doing so. This is a workers' rights issue and it is blatant discrimination and pay disparity.

These people are paid by licence payers and they are carrying out discriminatory practices. The committee will not let this go so we brought it to the Minister. We included it here to see if we could have it addressed in legislation. I will not be impressed if the Minister does not do anything about this.

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