Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

This is the second time in a month I have had to raise this matter. I still have not got an answer from the Department or the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is last person I raised it with. The Taoiseach mentioned employment regulation orders with regard to childcare. There is an employment regulation order in respect of the security industry. Employment in that industry is low paid and precarious. There are 15,000 workers in the industry. A particular security company has prevented an employment regulation order relating to wages from going ahead. We are not talking about a king's ransom, but 15,000 workers have been due a pay rise for the past two years. The fact that the employment regulation order is before the High Court is stopping them from getting it. I We have no control over the High Court, but we have control over the Private Security Authority, PSA, which changed the rules for licensing security firms and removed a stipulation that all such firms must adhere to the employment regulation order. I have a very simple question: why was that done? Who ordered it? I ask for an explanation as to why the PSA changed the rules around the employment regulation order. There is a lot of jargon involved. The Taoiseach knows what I mean because he served as Minister in the relevant Department until recently. We need an answer.

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