Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State said this is complicated, but it is not. It is very simple. It is equal pay for work of equal value. Yesterday, representatives from Mandate Trade Union appeared before the committee and I asked whether its members who are paid 70%, 80% or 90% of the rate are, in fact, doing 70%, 80% or 90% of the work. The fact is that they are not; they are doing 100% of the work. I caution the Minister of State against the use of language like she is trying to protect people from having their hours cut. I remind her that was the language that was used by people at the time when women were campaigning for equal pay in advance of equal pay legislation coming via the European Union. At the time, it was said that the people who did not want equal pay for work of equal value were, in fact, the ones who were protecting women from having their hours cut. I do not like to hear that said in this House. We should not use that language. The Minister of State should be honest with people; she is not protecting them from having their hours cut, and I do not believe that is her intention either.

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