Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. Gabhaim mo bhuíochas agus déanaim comhghairdeas leis an Seanadóir Gavan as an Bhille seo a leagadh os ár gcomhair anocht agus le Barry Kearney agus a oifig as a gcuidiú leis an reachtaíocht seo a dhreachtú. Gabhaim buíochas freisin as an obair a bhí curtha isteach ag an Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh, mar a ghabh daoine cheana féin. I do not and should not have to reiterate the fact that this rather simple and direct Bill is about workers. It is about protecting and defending workers and offering the most modest and basic form of support, courtesy and dignity to a point given the circumstances in which many people within the hospitality sector work. When I came to reflect on this piece of legislation, I thought back to last night and a Bill before us on Second Stage from Senator Swanick. It was the Life Saving Equipment Bill. All of us, including its proposer, acknowledged that this Bill needed to be tightened up and that there were elements of it that could be improved and refined with expert input and knowledge.Given that it was positive legislation and could have a tangible impact on people's lives, in keeping with the general practice in this House, we all agreed to allow it to proceed to Committee Stage because that is where we can amend, develop, refine and improve legislation such as this.

I acknowledge that a number of parties will abstain on the Bill, but it would have been much more positive and in the spirit of new politics and would have given a positive message of support to workers in the hospitality sector were they to have voted for it to pass and then sought to have their amendments made on Committee Stage.

I do not think my time is up yet, but I will not use the whole eight minutes.