Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to bring it back to the workers. Some of them are represented in the Gallery while others are following via social media and on the web. The workers have to be front and centre in our minds as we progress the Bill. It is bad enough when the State asks the people to pay for bad banking debt and dips into their pockets to pay for that. It is worse that we would not even consider at this stage very simple legislation that would stop certain employers from dipping into the tips jar. As Senator Nash rightly said, that is effectively what is happening here. People's tips are being taken from them.

Let us reflect on the kinds of workers who avail of, benefit from and, in many instances, rely on these tips. The limited recovery in this State, mentioned by Senator Buttimer, has happened because of those who put their shoulder to the wheel and work in those precarious jobs in the hospitality sector. They get up incredibly early in the morning to clean hotel bedrooms, kitchens and bars. These are the people who have led the recovery. The very least we can do is ensure that they get to keep the tips they get for the good service they provide and despite the often horrible conditions they work in, as identified by the research in Galway carried out by Senator Ó Clochartaigh. We need to ensure their employers are not taking their tips upon which they rely to make up the difference in their wages which perpetuates the kind of awfulness we have seen in this State with homelessness. We are forcing people into poverty where they lose jobs, where they lose their homes and where they are not able to afford rent. Tragically, that is the difference employers taking tips off their staff can make to people's lives. They are stealing them and effectively driving them further into poverty.

We have an opportunity to do something very simple, straightforward and positive. It is laid out in the Bill. We should allow it proceed to the next Stage, at which point we can, as colleagues have outlined, make the necessary amendments. We have no objection to that.