Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister and the Government for not opposing this Bill. It is an appropriate response considering the cross-party support for the sentiment behind this Bill. The support exists because we all really do value workers. We value retail workers. I take the points made by the other contributors. I refer to the debate on the need to, potentially, expand the definition of workers who would be protected by this Bill or this legislative activity.

Like all Members, I completely accept that legislation alone is not the panacea. In fact, it is only a small contribution to fixing the many challenges our society has. When we introduce legislation, we send a very strong signal that we, as a society and a body politic, place an importance on an issue. In this instance, we are saying that we think it is really important that we respect and protect retail workers. That is why this Bill has received unanimous support, for which I am greatly appreciative.

The contributions have been really valuable. I thank the Minister for accepting the contributions and committing to take them on board when the Department deliberates on the development of a retail crime strategy.

On the protection of people and workers, in this instance it is largely people who are in the minorities. It is young people and, typically, non-nationals. It can also be people who work on their own in a retail setting. As these people are very vulnerable, it is right that we send a signal that we think they need to be protected.

I am a founding director of a community-led justice youth diversion programme that dates back over 14 or 15 years. I commend the Department of Justice, in particular everybody who works in the justice youth space. I commend the Department of Justice, as departmental officials have been incredibly strong in supporting justice youth work, certainly in my own community, and have been highly responsive. I am speaking as a voluntary director of a justice youth service and a youth service. The Department has helped us to respond as a community, because ours is a community-led justice youth service, to the needs. Where a community is engaged and there are dedicated, professional youth workers, and justice youth workers to support not just the young person and his or her families but schools and the wider community, it is highly effective in reducing crime both in a retail space and across the board. Finally, I encourage the Minister, as the new Minister for Justice, to continue this work. I take on board the point made that we already have a crime of assault. We have a crime of assault, assault with harm and assault with serious harm. What we are suggesting is that there should be a further category of crime where it is an attack on somebody who is in the service industry. In this instance we spoke about retail workers but it could be anybody in the service industry. We should work collectively and on a cross-party basis to ensure that the strategy the Minister brings forward is as strong and as effective as possible in order that it sends out that strong signal that we want to protect and respect workers and that it sends a signal to An Garda Síochána, to the courts and to anybody else who is going to be engaged in this that it is a serious crime and it is one that we want to see prosecuted.