Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We did not get the answers we wanted and I will demonstrate this now by moving the conversation on.

I will repeat exactly what the Minister, Deputy McConalogue, said on the previous occasion with regard to compensation for the workers. He said the legislation provides for statutory redundancy. That is what the law of the State provides for. He then went on to say there is capacity in the regulations to reflect other costs and the impact on employees. Here is the problem. This says absolutely nothing.

One of the major disappointments I have is that to date the Minister has refused to meet again with the farmers and the workers. As I understand it, the line from the Minister is that he will not meet them until the Bill is passed. I have to challenge this with a very reasonable question. Why would he not sit down with these people given all of the points that have been made by all of the parties about the importance of setting the right precedent for compensation for rural families and rural communities? We need to see more from the Government and the Minister.

There is something unique happening here. This is not being debated on party political lines. Members from all parties have stood up and spoken passionately about the need to defend these people and ensure they are given security, compensation and a chance to rebuild their lives because the Government is shutting down their industry. Like others, I emphasise that I support this decision. We are not in the business of delaying the Bill but we are in the business of ensuring, in as far as we can, that the people in the Gallery and their colleagues get fair compensation.

As a rural man, the Minister will appreciate the old saying about not buying a pig in a bag. The problem is that this is what the Minister is asking these people to do. As a good Sinn Féin representative, I will be constructive as always and I will help the Minister with the words we need to hear from him this evening. We need to hear that on top of statutory redundancy, there will be an enhanced redundancy package based on weeks per year of service. This is what would happen normally in the private sector. As a former union negotiator, I sat down with employers and hammered out a deal. God knows, I would not get what I wanted and nor would the employer but we would work out a deal based on weeks per year of service and that deal would be a fair one. If what we are going to get from the Minister this evening, and I hope it is not because I am trying to be constructive, is more words about capacity in the regulations to reflect other costs and the impact on employees, it will mean nothing.That means nothing because, to be absolutely frank, the Minister of State could turn around after the Bill is passed and say, "Fair play to you lads. We are going to give each of you an extra €500. Good luck." Let me be clear; I do not believe that is what the Minister of State wants to do. I believe that, like others in this room, he wants to see a fair deal here but I have real fears that the Department will absolutely resist that for the very reasons set out by Senators Lombard and Boylan, including that it would set a precedent for just transition. However, we would not be being fair and honourable to rural communities throughout Ireland if we did not stand up and insist that just transition means just that in this instance.

We are not asking for the Minister of State to negotiate here in the room. We are asking for a clear formula of words that indicates that there will be a proper enhanced redundancy package based on a given number of weeks per year of service. I would really appreciate it if the Minister of State would repeat that comment in his responses. That would be tremendously helpful.

We need clarity on this. The key thing that really worries me is that there is no reason a Minister could not sit down with these people while this Bill is going through. In fact, I would suggest that, if a Minister had done that, we could perhaps have already advanced beyond this stage. The assurances that these workers are looking for are nothing if not reasonable. They need to be delivered. The good news is that it is in the Minister of State's hands to do that. It is very simple. It is in his hands to do that this evening by delivering a clear message as to the detail of an enhanced redundancy package to give assurance to these workers. If he gives that clear assurance, I would hope that all of us could move on and see this Bill through. Without that assurance, I would have to be direct and say it is not good enough not just for the people behind me and their colleagues, but for rural Ireland. There is a lot of talk about rural Ireland in this Chamber but this evening we will see whether there is to be real delivery. That means making a very clear and concrete statement that gives assurance to these people.

What does it do for their confidence when yet another day passes while there is a refusal to meet with them? I do not mean the Minister of State personally but the chief Minister is refusing to meet with them. Their confidence is at rock bottom. They have no faith in this Government to provide them with fair compensation. That is the truth. The Minister of State and the Minister would know that if they met with them and spoke to them. In his response, I urge the Minister of State to simply give a commitment to sit down with them this week to meet their concerns head on and to give them assurance, allowing us to move on. We want to move on. I put it to the Minister of State respectfully that it is the Government that is holding up this Bill by its refusal to engage and to give decent and fair assurances to these families and workers. The good news is that the Minister of State has an opportunity right here and right now to do just that. I look forward to his constructive response.