Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to associate myself with the Bill. I compliment Senator Bacik, who has worked extremely hard on it and who brought it to this Chamber during the term of the previous Seanad. Senator Nash has been a great champion of all workers both in his former role and now as a Senator. I acknowledge that.

It is terribly wrong that we pit professional against professional as they try to earn a meagre living. We have just heard figures such as €18,000 and €8,000 per annum. There is something terribly wrong about that. That we would try to use competition legislation to deny those affected the basic right to trade union representation is despicable. I compliment the National Union of Journalists, the unions and the Arts Council on working with Senator Bacik and bringing forward this legislation. Although Fine Gael spoke in glowing terms on Second Stage about how it is supportive of the Bill, I am somewhat disappointed that it now talks about amendments and the advice of the Attorney General, whose advice a distinguished Cabinet Minister told us yesterday is nothing but an opinion.Let us get real with this. The Bill was drafted by Senator Ivana Bacik, who has a distinguished legal mind. I do not see any great need to start mucking about with this. These people have waited years to have this legislation passed. If we are cognisant of the pain and suffering people endure trying to get their rights as workers, we should move this Bill along and get it into the Dáil. If there is a genuine amendment, which needs to be brought in, let us hear the rationale behind it but, for God's sake, let us not slow the Bill down but get it through this House as quickly as possible and let these people get their genuine entitlement. The entitlement to have a trade union represent them is tremendous work by trade unions. Trade unions in this country have come in for much stick in the past couple of years. This is a trade union that is taking not only a justifiable stand but a moral stand for its members. I commend it for that. I hope we will not slow things down but take the Bill as it was drafted and move forward with it. I am not taking a pop at Fine Gael on this. It has supported the Bill and I know it will support it but please do not introduce complex amendments at this Stage. Let us get the Bill through the House as quickly as we can.