Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

-----but I have to say that the comments from both parties - I heard the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney echo his colleague this morning - in regard to curtailing the right to strike are concerning. This is not merely right-wing politics. This is far-right politics. I would remind the House that the right to strike is a fundamental human right. It is recognised as such. It is a right of self-defence. To hear both prospective leaders declare that they intend to curtail the right to strike for public sector workers can only be describe as sinister. Such a proposal would also undermine the industrial relations machinery. It is a disgraceful proposal. It would mean that the State could use Labour Court recommendations that suit the employers and make them enforceable while ignoring recommendations that do not suit the employers. In this regard, I would remind the Leader that the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Varadkar, is currently ignoring a host of Labour Court recommendations, and I have written to the Leader in regard to that. That shows the Minister, Deputy Varadkar's level of respect for trade unions. As someone who likes to brandish his trade union credentials, I would like to hear the Leader clearly condemn these ideas of curtailing the right to strike.

Now that we have the prospect of two Deputies on the far right of Fine Gael vying for leadership, I would say to my colleagues in Fianna Fáil that to facilitate the election of one Fine Gael Taoiseach is unfortunate but to facilitate the election of two is careless.