Joe O'Toole (Independent)

I am sure the Senator will put this in another context when he gets the opportunity, and will be quite right to do so. There is a huge imperative to get this legislation through the House as quickly as possible, to which I realise Members have today committed. This is a confidence boosting measure in regard to Sustaining Progress. It is the first legislative measure to come from it and there will be others. It is the first clearly defined outcome under which we can draw a line and, in that sense, was required.

We should also address the reasons we find ourselves in such situations. With regard to the case of the Irish Glass Bottle Company, for example, it is appalling that it should be left to the Government to pick up the pieces. The holding company has made a huge amount of money from the closure and sits on huge assets. While I welcome what we are doing today, it is a disgrace and unacceptable that we are spending taxpayer's money while those who unnecessarily closed this company and failed to provide for the workers despite having plenty of money – the holding company, not the operating company – made tens of millions of pounds.

Nonetheless, in the context of how we have done business over the past 35 years, this Bill is progress, particularly for those in the trade union movement who put huge pressure on its leadership and said this was an issue on which progress must be made. Another was trade union recognition, on which we have made progress, not as much as I would want but more than has ever been made previously. It is a positive and welcome development.