Derek McDowell (Labour)

One could argue that I am not acting to type in this respect. However, my basic argument is simple. Members are discussing the establishment of a mechanism which will continue for ten or 20 years. My point is that, at the outset of the implementation of that mechanism for information and consultation, it should have the approval of the people to whom it applies, namely, those working in that particular enterprise. That seems to be a simple principle to endorse.

If one accepts that a majority of employee representatives would have an equal entitlement, that assumes that each employee representative represents the same number of people. There is no such requirement in the Bill and it is quite possible that one employee representative might, for example, represent 100 people working in Carlow while another might represent 1,000 people working in Naas. On the face of it, under that subsection they would have equal right to decide whether to accept a particular mechanism. In order to avoid such potential complications, I am setting out a basic principle, namely, that each worker has an equal right to endorse or otherwise an arrangement before it is put in place. From a bureaucratic perspective, it is not asking much to request that a single plebiscite be carried out as a once-off measure to approve the mechanism. Once it is done, it will not need to be repeated.