Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Labour) | Oireachtas source

In regard to the trade union rights issue, we had a good day here yesterday in terms of having a motion on SNA rights passed with support from the Civil Engagement Group, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. That was brought to the fore because of the actions of IMPACT trade union. The comments that have been made in regard to Ryanair are valid. This is a 30-year issue coming to bite Michael O'Leary quite hard. The message has to go out to the people of Ireland that there are good decent trade unions that one can be a member of that will fight for one's workplace rights and that membership of that union will always be a good thing and money well spent in terms of being part of that.

Finally, if I might, I congratulate all the members of the Joint Committee on the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution, many of whom feel strongly on this issue in many different directions. My party would call on the Government to move quickly. We would hope that no political party, regardless of its reservations, would stop the people from having a say on this. We have had the Citizens' Assembly and now the deliberations of the joint committee. We need a referendum now. I would hope that no party in the Oireachtas would stop that from happening.

I would also make a call in regard to the campaign - many of us are anxious as to the tone of it - that on this occasion the erection of posters is something that might be reconsidered on both sides. If we are to have a calm debate, if we are to have something that people can reflect on and analyse, the sloganeering and images that could potentially be erected on posters around the country is something that could be re-examined as to its appropriateness in this situation.