Seanad debates

Wednesday, 25 February 2015

Workplace Relations Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed)

 

10:30 am

Photo of David NorrisDavid Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is all coming out now. Only in the latter stages of this discussion is the veil being rent from the Minister's position. First, he said powerful interests had been lobbying for a wider application of fees. These interests will continue to operate on the Department. The Minister said very firmly on a number of occasions that there is only one case in which he would apply this legislation, that he put in this reserve function so that he could use it in one instance. He returned to this again and again and insisted on it. Now, most intriguingly, he has come out and said there may be other instances which we have not foreseen. This gives away the game. The Minister is putting in the function not just for one instance, but so that he can cover all kinds of contingencies that may or may not arise in the future if he feels like introducing a fee.Moreover, I already have illustrated that this will have no impact whatever on employers because they are indemnified already. The Minister first stated there will be only one instance but then he stated there may be other ones as well. Members would like to know what other ones.

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