Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This is my first contribution. I welcome the Minister the State and I hope he had his Weetabix this morning.

I want to talk about people at work because this summer, in particular, let us be frank, large parts of our tourism industry are being propped up by 16- and 17-year-olds working across hotels, restaurants and fast food establishments. They go to work, work 40 hours - my son is one of them – and pay tax. They have absolutely no say whatsoever in the world they are working in. What was the old phrase about “no taxation without representation”?

These people are working and playing a crucial role in our economy. The factors that affect them at work, for example, the fact that they do not have a legislative right to collective bargaining, the rates of pay that are set and how they get to work, that is, the provision or non-provision of transport, influence and impact on them and yet they are denied a vote. It just makes no sense whatsoever. It is one-way traffic for them at the minute. Most young people want to go out and work and make money. They are entitled to have a say. That is why we have these people in the Visitors Gallery today. They are entitled to a say and they have not been given one.

What has been frustrating for a number of us in the Seanad, particularly those who were in the last Seanad, was to see a very good Bill by Senators Warfield and Ruane frustrated by the Government parties. I am conscious just to advise people in the Visitors Gallery that what they hear is often good, but the reality often does not follow through. If I mention two words, they will understand what I mean: "Seanad reform".