Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is an excellent article by Fiona Reddan in today's edition of The Irish Timeson the issue of bogus self-employment. She cites a worker who cleans offices Monday to Friday. Although he works regular hours, although all his gigs are set up for him and he is paid the minimum wage each week, the company he works for has hired him on a self-employed basis. If he is sick, he will not get paid and next week he might get no work at all. The article also cites the example of a content moderator hired to view graphic images on websites and make decisions on whether they should be left up or taken down. The stress of the job can get to her but because she is not an employee she will find it difficult to get stress-related paid leave or make a personal injury claim. The scope of bogus self-employment is absolutely huge in this country. The Labour Party had a Bill here three weeks ago which Sinn Féin was happy to support. Unfortunately, the Government opposed it and, more unfortunately still, Fianna Fáil never turned up. It never sent a single Senator, even during the debates, and the Bill was defeated by two votes. On that evening, though, the Minister did say she was poised and ready with a Bill of her own, which she was going to introduce in the following couple of weeks. That was three weeks ago and we are now heading into a two-week recess. I am hearing that there has been intensive lobbying by both IBEC and the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland in respect of this issue. I want an assurance from the Leader as to when this Bill is going to be introduced. It is absolutely crucial. Apart from the fact that we are losing €240 million of revenue each year in unpaid taxes, the level of exploitation of workers is absolutely disgraceful. We had an opportunity to deal with it three weeks ago. The Government rejected that opportunity and it now appears it is dragging its heels again. A simple assurance in terms of a publication date for that Bill would be very welcome.

Deputy Clare Daly issued a letter on the situation in Catalonia at the end of last week. She has called on all public representatives to sign it. The letter does not call for independence for Catalonia but just calls out the level of human rights abuses happening there at the moment. Two civic and cultural leaders have been held on an order for pre-trial detention on charges of sedition since last October. Jordi Cuixart and Jordi Sànchez are leaders of civil society who have been put in jail and left there. The Leader may know that in the civil trial being held in Madrid, the fascist party - the Vox Party - is joining with the State prosecutor to make its own prosecution and is levelling charges carrying up to 75 years in jail. Unfortunately, the sister party of Fine Gael, the Partido Popular in Spain, has been very open about the fact that it is happy to go into government with this fascist Vox Party after the election at the end of the month. It is incumbent on all of us who believe in civil rights and freedoms to stand up for freedom in Europe. I urge all Senators to have a look at that email and to sign the letter and stand up for human rights.