Jim Higgins (Fine Gael)

I wish to raise three issues. Last week the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment published the redundancy figures for December and January. The latter figure was 2,800 and that for December was 2,200, marking an increase of 5% on the respective figures for last year. Behind each of these redundancies is a human story and while we might talk about growth and inflation, jobs are the acid test of how the economy is doing, and we are losing them. We need to debate this urgently.

The second issue is a plea by the Dublin City Coroner this week for an urgent amendment to the outdated Coroners Act 1962 on the basis that medical practitioners are not turning up at inquests with the result that inquests must be deferred twice or three times. I know of a case concerning someone very close to me who died tragically and an essential witness did not turn up. The fine for this is a derisory £5 as in the old days.

The third issue is that last week several owners of lap dancing clubs were brought to court, not for their sordid operations but because they were in breach of employment legislation as the girls working in the clubs did not have work permits or visas. Primary legislation is needed here, or an amendment to existing legislation to root out these promiscuous operations.