Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

At the outset, I join with the Cathaoirleach in thanking of the staff for enabling us to operate in the way that we do in a week during which some dreadful remarks were made about public servants. I hope all of us will join together in recognising the value of the people who enable of us to work in the way we do and in thanking them and in wishing them well in the weeks ahead.

I raise the issue of Debenhams. This is day 111 of the strike by members of staff of Debenhams who are members of Mandate and SIPTU. They have spent 16 weeks on the picket line. It is a 24-hour-a-day picket line. It has to be because two days ago, at 3 a.m., the liquidators entered the Limerick store. They are trying to access the stock, which is worth millions. This money must form part of a settlement for the workers.I want to send a message to KPMG that it would be entirely unacceptable for it to try to interfere in any way with that stock until such time as a settlement has been made.

Government officials have met the workers from Mandate. That is important because the Government has a role to play. Four years ago, after the debacle at Clerys, the Duffy-Cahill report was published. That report outlined a set of measures which must be taken to protect workers and prevent tactical insolvencies. The reality is that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have sat back and let that report gather dust for the past four years. We have spent the past couple of weeks passing emergency legislation, much of which is necessary, but why is it that we never pass emergency legislation relating to working class people and workers' rights? Why has that report been left to gather dust for the past four years? I want to send the clear message that this dispute must be resolved before we come back in September. It would be unthinkable that those workers would have to spend another six weeks manning a picket line 24 hours a day because of the negligence of previous Governments. There is a role for the Government to play and I call on it to play that role and ensure a just settlement for those workers.

I will briefly mention the situation at Shannon Group and key sites in Limerick, such as King John's Castle and Bunratty Castle, because those sites may have been closed by the time the Seanad resumes. It is fair to say that everyone in this Chamber knows that is unacceptable and that there must be an intervention by the Government. If that intervention has not been made by the time we come back in September, the clamour for action will be loud and clear, day in and day out. We must do better by the workers at those key sites and the people of Limerick and Clare.