Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I also congratulate my colleague Senator Neale Richmond on his selection as chairman of the Seanad's Brexit committee. He has shown himself to be a deeply committed European. During our tour involving 14 meetings in two days, he showed himself to be thoroughly knowledgeable on Brexit. I am delighted to work with him. I ask the Deputy Leader to consider in the near future a rapporteur for the committee.

In light of the remarks of Senator Robbie Gallagher, I believe the Tesco dispute and Bus Éireann debacle combined indicate a clear effort to break the strength of the trade unions. As a member of the Labour Panel, I could not sit quietly and allow this to go on. It is time the Minister, Deputy Shane Ross, moved on the Bus Éireann problem. We solved the Luas and Irish Rail problems and it is now time to solve the bus problem.

What is happening with Tesco is even more worrying because it involves a ginormous multinational attempting to break a trade union. That simply cannot be allowed to happen in a civilised society.Workers are entitled to have representation. I was never one for confrontation. Representation is what it should be. People are entitled to be represented and to have their union. No company, regardless of how many advertisements it can take out in national newspapers, should be allowed to try to break a trade union or to break a strike. From that point of view perhaps we would get the Minister to come to the House and have a debate on this issue in the not too distant future. When I say "on the issue" I am talking about the right of people to organise in the workforce.