Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The research conducted by my colleagues in Sinn Féin in drafting the Bill made for some difficult reading. The incidence of tips not being passed on to staff is much higher than any of us would like to think. This is an important amendment and it provides an avenue for redress for employees whose rights have been breached under this legislation. As a former trade union leader, I find it regrettable that this issue of tips could not have been resolved a long time ago through collective bargaining mechanisms. This legislation, therefore, provides the only avenue by which workers can pursue this. Workers need to be given statutory rights that will be upheld in court. I hope the amendment has a strong deterrent effect on employers, which will in time lead to good practice becoming the norm rather than the exception. The passing on of tips is a problem in many countries, yet the giving of tips is not. We have all had the experience of putting money under the salt and pepper on the table in a restaurant, popping it into a jar, giving it to a waiter or waitress or adding it to a credit card payment, yet we have no idea if those tips reach the people for whom they were intended.

As a country which is so dependent on tourism, the quality of service in our hospitality sector is world renowned. There is a very big difference between eating a meal in a restaurant and having a memorable dining experience especially, but not exclusively, on a special occasion. The giving of tips is an acknowledgement of the added value. It is as important for the giver as the receiver.