Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Independent Group for bringing this Bill to the House but I have my doubts and reservations about taking money out of people's pay packets and handing it over to trade unions. For too long now people have been coming to me from different sectors and walks of life to tell me that trade unions have let them down very badly. Cork University Hospital was mentioned earlier and the fact that the housekeeping staff there are not allowed to take their annual leave but their supervisors can do so. Supervisors are facilitated but the ordinary workers are not. They are under savage pressure and that is just one example.

I have been employing people for almost 40 years now and am proud to be an employer but there is a constant bombardment and attack on employers by those on the left in here. It is continuous. Small employers in rural places are under pressure like never before. Many of them are closing down their businesses because they cannot continue and if we place more rules and regulations on them and require more paperwork from them it will only hurt them further. If we do not have employers we will not have employees. If employers have to give up then their employees will not have a job. I know as well as anyone how quickly Friday evening comes around when one has people to pay and one has families depending on one. I always did my best to meet that wage bill and my family always does that. I am sorry I cannot support this Bill.

See this speech in context