A Cheann Comhairle, you wrote to me previously about raising a matter during leaders' questions, which appeared to relate to my constituency, when I referred to the Irish Glass Bottle Company workers. However, as I indicated to your staff, I raised the issue on behalf of all workers who face redundancy and the inadequate levels of compensation for redundant workers under the legislation in place. With your permission, Sir, I would like to raise the matter again, not on behalf of the Irish Glass Bottle Company workers who still await a proper settlement or the workers at Peerless Rugs who still occupy their factory in Kildare, but to check out the sincerity factor of the Taoiseach's crocodile tears in respect of the NET-IFI workers.
In the manifest and symbolic absence of the Tánaiste who has consistently refused to reform the legislation on redundancy payments, will the Taoiseach do something real instead of manifesting artificial sympathy for the IFI workers? Will he give a commitment that the Government, notwithstanding the lapdogs in the Progressive Democrats, will amend the redundancy legislation to effect a change for which John McDonnell called at SIPTU's conference in Killarney last week whereby the current conditions will be changed in order that workers who pay into the PRSI fund will receive three weeks pay for every year worked in compensation, irrespective of age, and that it will kick in following one year's employment? The reality is one year's employment is not demanding because most people work for companies which go bust for much longer.
Will the Taoiseach do something real instead of shedding crocodile tears? Will he give a commitment on this issue, something which he has refused to do in the past? If not, will he admit the reason for this is his hapless Minister for Finance wants to raid the social insurance fund again this year to the same tune that it was raided last year, approximately €635 million, and that the reason for this is the same as that given last year when we repeatedly raised the issue on the Order of Business and tried to introduce a Bill, that he wants to raid workers' and employers' moneys to balance the Exchequer's books?
Will the Taoiseach do something tangible for the workers in IFI who face redundancy by awarding them decent payments and make retrospective payments to the workers at Peerless Rugs and Irish Glass? Will he admit the reason he is not prepared to give a commitment on redundancy payments is that once again he wants to give Houdini McCreevy the room to raid the social insurance fund in order that he can pretend, like many other bankrupt accountants, to balance the books?
