Duncan Smith
Dublin Fingal East · Labour Party · Ireland
“That is three separate roads that are all in one network and are all closed or heavily restricted because of these works happening at the same time. This is impacting thousands of existing residents, and will do so for a significant period. The works are happening and the homes are being built.”
“We have a very small wastewater treatment plant that has been there for 40 or 50 years and which serviced a much smaller town. It is currently being retrofitted and upgraded, but those works are being delayed.”
“I thank Minister of State, Deputy Harkin, for taking this debate late on a Thursday evening, on the last sitting day of this term. I would like to talk about the town of Swords in north County Dublin.”
“We do not have enough schools and we have a wastewater treatment plant that is absolutely buckling under the pressure. We welcome the houses. There were no mass protests about housing development in Swords. The majority of people who live there moved there, like myself, in the past 20 years and love living there.”
“I know you cannot make an omelette without cracking a few eggs, but there is a disconnect in the planning of these projects that is causing havoc in Swords. We have a massive issue with our bus network, from bus stops to bus services, and again, we do not have a rail link yet.”
“I thank the Minister of State for her response, which speaks to the issue I am raising. Again, she will sense the tone in which I am raising it. There is an awful lot happening and being built, but it is the co-ordination of these works that is the problem.”
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“Internal documents on the ARP scheme obtained by the Irish Daily Mail and published last Wednesday by Craig Hughes show officials in the Department of public expenditure are concerned about the knock-on effects as there is a risk that it will end up costing more than it saves. A memo from the Minister stated there was a risk that this could undermine ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on expensive commercial accommodation and that, in effect, Ukrainians would be transferred from homes to hotels. The Minister of State should confirm if a business case was produced for the decision. It is estimated the current system is saving the State €1 million to €2 million every day based on current numbers. It takes pressure off the private rental market and, importantly, helps people integrate and learn English faster.”
“This is by any measure a very successful scheme that has ensured Ukrainians have a place to call home and it saved the State millions of euro that would otherwise have been spent on private or commercial accommodation. As the Minister said in March, the average cost per night is €13, compared with €45 in commercial self-catering accommodation. There is a significant risk now that the cut to €600 will result in extra cost for the State by putting Ukrainians at risk of homelessness. That would pile further pressure onto the private market and worsen the housing crisis.”
“The Labour Party will not be supporting the Government motion to cut the accommodation recognition payment from €800 to €600, nor will we be supporting the Sinn Féin amendment, which I call on its members to withdraw. Sinn Féin should support the parties of the left in opposing the motion and the €200 cut to the payment. Since the outbreak of the Russian war of conquest against Ukraine, we have been proud to stand in solidarity with Ukrainian people. When the Dáil last discussed this motion to extend the scheme in March, it was confirmed that over 37,000 Ukrainians were being provided with accommodation in over 20,000 properties, down from a high of over 52,000 beneficiaries.”
“The Tánaiste and I both have children of a very similar age. In years to come they will ask us what we did. Right now, we will not say we did nothing but we have to say we can do more. I genuinely believe that. The Labour Party believes that. We can do more. We are going to put forward a suite of actions we hope the Government will be able to support in the next few weeks and months.”
“In speaking with a senior activist from civil society last week, his message was that the stance Ireland has taken is welcome, but we should not clap ourselves on the back too much, because it is still not enough. I firmly believe this not as a stick with which to beat the Government but as a message for us on this issue to break down those divides and to work together to be leaders, not just in Europe but globally, to stop the slaughter, protect the innocent and save lives. We are best when we are brave and we are pushing boundaries. I have said to the Tánaiste that I do not think what we have done is unimportant. The recognition of the State of Palestine, the advisory opinion of the ICJ and the work in the EU are important. We recognise that but we have to push. Many of us in this Chamber have young children.”
“It is acting like a state that is above international law and no state should be. It needs to be treated like a pariah until such time that peace is in place and the rebuilding of Gaza can begin. I and the Labour Party have published the occupying power securities and handling settlement goods Bill, which we hope to get signed off this week. This will outlaw the selling of Israeli bombs but it will also protect workers who do not want to handle goods from the occupied territories. This is something we will look for the Government's support on. We believe we need to break down the barrier between Opposition and Government to ensure that we as an Irish Parliament do everything we can for the people of Gaza and the Palestinians.”
“What people cannot deny is that Michael D., more so than any public representative, has his finger on the pulse of Irish public opinion. I ask that we listen to our President. While all of this carnage is taking place, Israel continues to enjoy the fruits of European cultural and sporting competitions. This needs to stop. We need to engage with international sporting bodies and, in the case of Eurovision, for example, RTÉ, to push for Israel to be excluded from international sporting competitions, at both international and club level, and from events such as Eurovision. This may sound somewhat frivolous in the face of such slaughter, but with such limited levers, we need to pull every one we can. Israel at all levels cannot feel welcome in the modern world when its Government is acting with such impunity in the name of its people.”
“That could provide a precedent and mechanism for the UN to act to ensure we can provide a humanitarian corridor and peacekeeping force to ensure that enough aid can get into Gaza, which would be hundreds and hundreds of trucks per day. The suffering is so high, the relentlessness of the Israeli bombardment is so extreme and our levers are so few, which is why we are asking the Government to consider what the Labour Party will be proposing next week in our motion. We are looking for cross-party support for this. Our President, Michael D. Higgins, arguably our greatest-ever President, has called on the UN General Assembly to act. Some people may take issue with our President straying into policy areas; I do not.”
“It has failed in its primary responsibility to maintain peace and security in Gaza. A total of 55,000 people are dead, including 15,000 children. Yesterday, a child, only one week old, was killed in an air strike. What an awful week for the life of that poor baby, born into starvation, living under bombardment every day until finally, on the seventh day, their brand new life was ended by one Israeli bomb. The Security Council is failing. We believe in the UN General Assembly and we still believe in the power of the United Nations. Here is where we believe the Irish State can act. We think the Government should look at the precedent that was set in the uniting for peace resolution.”
“Their attacks on journalists, with 219 Palestinian journalists having been killed since 7 October, show that not only are they killing men, women and children, they want to ensure that the full truth cannot get out. With the European Union resolving to review relations with Israel, perhaps the international tide is turning on Israel but it feels like a day late and a dollar short. We in the Labour Party want to ensure that, in our role in the Irish Parliament to hold our Government to account, we are being constructive in offering some solutions, albeit within the constraints that we have. The Security Council of the UN is broken. I know the Tánaiste believes that. We also believe it. We will have a different debate on that in the not-too-distant future. The power of the veto has crippled it and led to inertia.”
“Médecins Sans Frontières has described the amount of aid that Israel has started to allow into Gaza as "a smokescreen to pretend the siege is over". Médecins Sans Frontières, UNICEF, the United Nations, UNRWA, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the list of trusted humanitarian organisations goes on, are all saying the same thing. What do we hear from the Israeli side? Finance minister Smotrich has called for Gaza to be totally destroyed. He said that sovereignty would be applied to the West Bank between now and the end of the lifetime of this Israeli Government in 2026. He has called for the conquering and cleansing of Gaza. This is genocide. It is war crimes. There are no other words to describe it. The Israelis are clear in their intent and they are following through.”
“The traditional responses of the Irish people to such suffering, such as aid donations, fundraisers and the opening of their homes to victims are being denied, as no aid can get in and no victims of this genocide can escape. It is butchery, pure and simple, with the world watching on and with many so-called developed states having blood on their hands and allowing the slaughter to happen. Despite the paltry number of trucks that have apparently crossed the border, there are no reports that this aid has even been delivered. In fact, we have some reports that even in those very few trucks that have gone over there is no aid, but in fact there may be coffins. That is what Israel is allowing to cross the border. The blockade which has been in place since March is essentially still in place.”
“I welcome Her Excellency, Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid to the Public Gallery for this debate. My colleagues and I missed the start of the debate because we were meeting the ambassador, so we are just catching up with what the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have said. We know that a bomb is dropped on Gaza every four minutes, on average. Since this debate began, approximately 15 bombs have fallen. Another 35 will fall before the end of the debate, making 50 bombs in total. More destruction, more war crimes and more death. We welcome these statements but seldom, if ever, has there been a topic on which this Parliament and indeed the people of this country have felt so impotent. The Irish people are enraged, saddened and left bereft by the suffering being inflicted on the people of Gaza.”
“There is an unbelievable lack of legislation from the Government, which is a huge problem. Will the Taoiseach state when we will see the occupied territories Bill and the timeline to enact it? Is it the Government's intention to have it enacted before the summer recess?”
“On the same issue, we believe a cross-party motion from the Government and the Opposition in this area would be most suitable. The schedules as presented in the last couple of weeks have been modest on the Government side. We think it would be a good offer if this came through the Government's time.”
“The fact the Tánaiste is trying to do these in parallel will be politically difficult and harbour mistrust on this side of the House that we are moving towards military alliances, be it NATO or through the European Union. That is something we cannot countenance and we do not need to.”
“The provision of modern fit-for-purpose capabilities is important. There would be more trust from this side of the House if we were not having the parallel debate on the triple lock and what is coming down the tracks there. There are places we can land on in terms of the extraction of Irish citizens and ensuring that capability can be raised but the multilateral backup of the UN for peacekeeping missions is still vital. I am concerned that debate will impact on issues like this or investing in our cybersecurity. I do not want that to happen because these are things we have to do. These are the basics of national security.”
“I thank the Tánaiste. We are so far behind in our capability. Is it envisioned that what is going to be provided and online for the State will be of the highest technical standard compared with other states? Will we be bringing in equipment to a specification that is perhaps ten or 20 years behind other states? We must improve our national security. Only when we are minding our own shop can we promote our positive neutrality. State actors who were previously allies of ours are no longer trusted so we need to invest, though not at the cost of housing or health, in our national security. This is one basic element that needs to be done. This issue can be decoupled, to use the word the Tánaiste used in his response to the previous question, from debates around the triple lock and neutrality.”
“It is a national embarrassment that we are without detection systems in our skies and waters and must rely on the Royal Air Force, RAF. We have outsourced that element of our sovereignty for a long time. The Tánaiste brought a note to Cabinet on a radar detection system that he wants to bring on board. Will he provide to the House more details on the timelines and costs involved?”
“In a previous response, the Tánaiste said he would arrange meetings with the NTA and a response from it on matters relating to this fare structure. It has not happened. I really need some progress on this matter.”
“-----an increase in public transport fares. The new Leap card zonal fare is harshly and dramatically impacting commuters travelling through zones 2, 3 and 4 especially. This impacts the Tánaiste's own constituency. I got a response from the NTA that said it is going to begin a scoping exercise of the impact of the new fare structure. I have schoolchildren in my constituency going from Donabate to Balbriggan who have to pay an extra €25 weekly due to these fares. The scoping exercise should be cancelled, the fares should go back to normal and an examination should be done before there is a change. This situation is having a major impact on families. We are trying to encourage people to use public transport and not to go backwards.”
“We want Israel to pull back, revert to a policy of peace and ensure that the people of Gaza can help to rebuild their communities and society which have been destroyed as a result of 20 months of active aggression. We need to make sure Europe will not stand for another minute, never mind a day, of blockades of medicine, food and water. This is intolerable to the spirit of the European Union. It is intolerable to the people of Ireland and the majority of people in the Chamber. It should be intolerable to every single European state, but by its silence, acquiescence and support of Israel it is not. It is doing a disservice to what the European Union should be and is making a mockery of Europe Day.”
“The United States is remaking the global world order in terms of its relationship. I will use the words of the former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, who is not someone of my political persuasion, to illustrate a point. He said the United States cannot be trusted as an international partner any more. That is regrettable, but it is a fact. The European Union needs to step into the breach as an economic and cultural power and voice for peace. It is failing in its first go because of what it is allowing to happen in Gaza. It is not even speaking out against Israel, never mind what we are calling for in terms of cultural, academic and sporting sanctions. Again, such action will not save any lives in Gaza but it will bring home to every person, organisation and part of society in Israel that we in Ireland and Europe will not support its actions.”
“Yet, Israel is still allowed to take part in international events as if it is a mature, responsible and peaceful member of the global community. It is not. It is a rogue nation that is inflicting genocide on the people of Gaza - I do not use the word "genocide" lightly or easily. However, when a country is systematically starving an ethnically homogenous population, exercising huge military dominance over them and physically pushing them south out of their lands, there is no other word for it. For Europe to celebrate Europe Day and peace and unity while this is happening before our very eyes gives a lie to the underpinning of the European Union and what makes the European Union, at least in theory, a great coming together of nations. Europe needs to reflect on itself and act.”
“We in this House have called for the occupied territories Bill to be passed. We all know the extent of that proposed legislation and the limited impact it would have. We know how important the symbolic nature of the Bill is, more so than anything else. At least it is something. We in Europe need to go even further. We need to escalate cultural, sporting and academic boycotts of Israel. The Eurovision Song Contest is coming up in a couple weeks. Israel should be allowed to take part and celebrate something as fun and joyful on the Continent of Europe and globally as Eurovision. It should be kicked out. It should not be allowed to participate in any sporting events. The same was done, and rightly so, with Russia over the past couple of years.”
“Europe Day celebrates peace and unity in Europe, but as we know and are witnessing there is no peace in Gaza and the occupied territories at this moment. This is a huge responsibility and weakness in the foreign policy of the European Union and how it operates in its neighbourhood. It is now more than 50 days since any food or medicine has been allowed into Gaza. Europe, with a few exceptions - Ireland being one and Spain another - has, by and large, remained silent. If not silent, it has tacitly supported Israel's actions in Gaza. The statement a couple of days ago from Benjamin Netanyahu that operations would increase means that, in essence, what has been happening until now has been some kind of operation that has been holding itself back and things will go full force with an almost full-scale invasion. Yet, Europe still remain silent.”
“Our motion, written by Deputy Eoghan Kenny and supported by the Labour Party, has the support of the Opposition. It should have the support of the Government but there are others in special education who are just forgotten by the Government as well. There is actually no policy for children with dyslexia. They are unable to get the supports they need within mainstream schooling because of the ratio and there is no policy to support them. It is a failure from top to bottom. I wish the Minister of State well. I do not doubt his personal bona fides but there is a huge lot of work to do. The first thing he could do is withdraw this insulting amendment.”
“The Minister of State said that they were the backbone of special education, but SNAs have been shown a lack of respect over many years. I acknowledge the work Fórsa and other unions have done about respect for SNAs and SNAs know there could be a potential hazard in the job. Some of them require assault leave. There is one case I am dealing with that is embarrassing to the Minister of State and the Government because of what the SNA has to go through just to get that an entitlement to assault leave to ensure the SNA can recover and get back to work quickly, which is all that person wants to do. It is an administrative bungling that is embarrassing for any State organisation to stand over. It is something I have raised, but the parliamentary question responses have been nothing short of disgraceful.”
“Schools like Broadmeadow Community National School put their hands up and say they have their own grounds, want to provide autism classes and are willing to ease the waiting lists in their localities, but what is the response I got from the Minister? It was that the Department would put Broadmeadow on the list. Apparently, the Government is looking for schools to put their hands up and saying it will give them facilities. Obviously, there is a staffing need and that will only be met if schools have time to do it, but the Minister is putting those schools that are putting their hands up on the long finger. It is disgraceful and goes against every public pronouncement that the Minister makes. The amendment is offensive to SNAs. We have spoken about the work they do and the arbitrary cap.”
“It is not insulting to us as such, but to the families, the parents, the SNAs and the activists in the Gallery, outside and throughout the country. It is insulting to the 126 children who are without a school place now, one of whom, Frankie Edgeworth in my constituency, has been refused 83 different forms of education from preschool to primary school. He is six years of age and severely autistic with intellectual disabilities. He has a huge array of ancillary needs and is still without a school place. It is not the SENO's fault. It is the Department's fault and the Minister's fault. It is not the fault of schools such as St. Cronan's in Swords, whose students I welcomed for a tour here today. That school is doing everything it can.”
“I for one do not doubt the Minister of State's personal bona fides in terms of his approach to this role, the success of which everyone in the Gallery and beyond wants to see. If the Minister of State is successful, it will improve the lives of families and children that need special education. However, one of the first acts that the Minister of State could do today is to encourage the Minister to withdraw this insulting amendment to our motion.”
“The proposal for a so-called housing tsar will be one of the most egregious of this Government. The details in the programme for Government stated it would be under the Minister for housing but it is emerging that the pay would come from the Department of Finance. We are still unclear as to the remit or powers this new, well-remunerated role will have. As the Government dragged its heels on setting up committees and we probably still will not have them in two weeks, we think there is an urgent need for clarification on the floor of the House this week.”
“To young people who have seen three global financial emergencies in their short lives and are growing up in an era of economic migration and emigration, I would say that this is a storm we need to weather. We need to show our young people that we in Ireland and Irish leaders are doing everything we can to protect jobs and provide opportunities here so they do not have to leave our shores. That is the challenge for this Government and this House.”
“There has to be a motivation within the US Administration such that they are being used in a weaponised capacity to hurt the countries to which they are being applied, which is, more or less, every country in the world, with the likes of Russia and North Korea being spared at this time. While this House has seen significant divides in recent months, indeed a lot surrounding the issue of democracy, this is now a time to come together. We can work together with our allies in Europe to put pressure on the Americans and Trump to change course. We have done it before and we can do it again. To those who may be listening in and are fearful of the future, I say that this storm needs to be weathered.”
“Whether it is Canada, Latin America or Asia, there are markets out there we have not fully harnessed due to our reliance on our hitherto very close relationship with the US but we must look at exploring these markets. We also need to acknowledge that the attacks on democracy that we have seen around the world are concerning. The fact that only 25% of global citizens are living under liberal free democracies compared with 50% in 2004 is worrying. The rise of autocracy and authoritarianism that seems to have swept the globe needs to be a wake-up call for all of us to take a stand against the US attempts to weaken other democracies. What none of us or any economist of good, bad, indifferent or excellent standing can understand is, "Why use tariffs?" They have never worked. Nobody wins. It is a lose-lose situation.”
“Trade is a tool for diplomacy and co-operation and, until recently, we in the western world have looked at the mutual dependencies that trade has created as helping to foster peace and stability. Just because the US has decided to abandon diplomacy and co-operation, it does not mean that the rest of us have to. As an EU member state, Ireland is committed to multilateralism, rules-based trade and a rules-based order and that will not change nor should it. Our participation in the Single Market has not only boosted our economic fortunes but has also anchored us to our allies who share our values of democracy, fairness and peace.”
“The goal of State action must be focused on allowing companies to adapt to changed trading realities and retain their skilled and experienced workforce as much as possible. International trade has long been a powerful driver of economic prosperity. As a small, open economy, Ireland has benefited greatly from the free exchange of goods and services across borders. Our trade relationships with the EU to the US and beyond have helped fuel our growth and bolster the standard of living for millions of people in this country, although I acknowledge that we are not without our problems and still have a number of structural crises we need to resolve with the prosperity that has been created. Yet trade is not simply about economics. Again, this is what I found interesting about what the Minister for Finance said earlier.”
“What we are calling for would be much more targeted and sophisticated but what those schemes show is that the State can act to protect jobs. What we are calling for is for the State to act to protect jobs. While the smaller details still need to be established, we do know the big sectors that are going to be most affected are likely the agrifood sector and the pharma-medical device sector. Of course, there will also be the unexpected areas hit. Again, we need to ensure that we are agile. Other big sectors are now also facing massive impacts, such as the Irish whiskey sector. Many distilleries will be funded through long-term loans built against their stock and there will be a need to provide targeted supports like more low-interest long-term financing and a marketing fund.”
“Importantly, like the German Kurzarbeit scheme, it would guarantee that each worker has access to training or upskilling to improve productivity and prepare workers for potential new opportunities. The scheme could be funded through the Social Insurance fund and the National Training Fund, both of which are in substantial surplus. The Social Insurance Fund ran a surplus of €2.7 billion in 2024 with an accumulated balance of over €10 billion this year while the National Training Fund has a surplus of about €1 billion. Such schemes are not without precedent in Ireland. During the pandemic, we had the temporary unemployment wage subsidy scheme. The Minister should be looking at an emergency measures in the public interest Bill to address the impact of tariffs. I again emphasise that we are not calling for the exact same schemes.”
“The concept of a short-term wage subsidy scheme like the German Kurzarbeit model that keeps people close to their employers in periods of uncertainty or turbulence is something for which Labour has been calling for a number of years. Indeed we are not alone in calling for such a scheme, with ICTU calling for such a scheme during Brexit for the agrifood sector and IBEC calling for a similar scheme. Such a scheme could support companies affected by the tariffs to hold on to some of their skilled workers as they adapt to changed trading rules and help develop new markets. This could be a vital move to hold on to our economic competitiveness for when this storm passes. It would protect employees from redundancies with State subsidies and shorter working hours when companies encounter difficulties.”
“That is, of course, if the Trump Administration is actually interested in coming to the table in the first place. At home, we need to learn from the past and be much more agile in how we respond to economic shocks. There are a number of measures for which the Labour Party is calling, informed by our experiences through Brexit and the Covid pandemic while acknowledging that neither of those two shocks are the same as what is happening now. We want to see a comprehensive assessment of the impact tariffs will have on Irish companies and Irish jobs. Only then can we plan properly for how we can support our people, workers and businesses. We also want to see a short-term wage subsidy scheme. We would like to see a marketing fund for sectors such as agrifood and dairy to open new markets, and a credit guarantee scheme to support businesses.”
“This is a time to be strategic while also being firm in how we negotiate. We cannot allow a precedent to be set where the Trump Administration gets to bully its so-called allies and get everything it wants. To that end, it is vital that across the House, we see what the proposals from the EU are before they come into being. This is not a situation where the US holds all the cards. While there will need to be negotiations, we come to them in a position to exert a significant amount of leverage on the US economy and we must be prepared to do so. The EU also has an anti-coercion instrument that can be deployed against tech companies if needs be. While we do not want it to get to that point, no option should be taken off the table.”
“There must be a comprehensive assessment across the economy of which sectors are affected and which jobs and potential job growth sectors will be affected. That will allow us to ensure that supports, where needed, can be targeted, and that we can ensure we are developing the right instruments to deliver those supports. We can say with some certainty that the agrifood and dairy industries could be especially hard hit, with many small businesses coming under extreme pressure and with small exporters that make specialised parts in this industry being exceptionally hard hit. During Brexit, our European allies stood firm with us in protecting both our economy and peace on our island. We must now stand firm with those allies and work together to combat these tariffs. The EU does have significant power and agency but they must be used wisely.”
“However, the truth is that at this point we do not know how much damage these tariffs will do to the Irish economy. We know that a 20% flat tariff will apply to all EU exports. We also know that tariffs on pharmaceuticals are likely to come, probably in the near future. There is a real risk here, maybe not in the immediate term given the nature of the pharma industry, but certainly in the medium term. We have seen the Trump Administration's response to China's response to the tariffs that it is willing to essentially go nuclear. What we are seeing now between the US and China is so concerning that there is further pressure on the EU to respond correctly and in a serious manner but in a manner that minimises the damage to our domestic economy. That is not an easy challenge. That is why we have to be as proactive as we can in our approach.”
“I am sharing time with my colleague, Deputy Marie Sherlock. I was taken with the comments of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, in his contribution earlier. The Minister has been Minister across the finance briefs for many years, through a number of crises. His general approach to things is one of calm. He is not one for hyperbole. He spoke about global economic activity increasingly fragmenting along political lines, about storm clouds and about how tariff-related issues will interact with other structural challenges, such as ageing populations, AI, climate change and high public debt, and he called it unprecedented. Having said that, I hope the Minister will be more open to instruments that could help to protect the Irish economy and Irish workers. He has set out just how serious this issue is.”
“I turn to CHI. The HIQA report published today is a matter of historical significance. We will now enter a two-week recess for Easter, and we think we should have a full debate this week on the HIQA report into CHI, the subsequent resignations and all the associated issues.”
“Will supports such as those put in place during Brexit, such as a credit guarantee scheme or a new marketing fund, be considered? Will the Tánaiste confirm if there will be a comprehensive assessment of the companies impacted and, as best we can, the potential number of jobs that could be impacted?”
“It might be somewhat optimistic to think last night was a moment and now we can move on to negotiations. My fear is we will have more moments like this from the President of the United States. EU unity is easier on trade because it is the raison d’être of the EU. It is essentially a trade agreement between European states from which peace and prosperity will flow. Therefore, unity is strong and we should ensure that continues, without doubt. However, we can do things in Ireland, such as a short-term work wage subsidy scheme, the work for which has to be done now. The potential impact of these tariffs will emerge in the weeks, months and years ahead but we have to do the work now. Will the Tánaiste confirm if the Government is considering a short-term work wage subsidy scheme? Both ICTU and IBEC have previously called for such a support.”
“We have been calling for this since the pandemic and the money to fund this scheme can be found in the Social Insurance Fund and the National Training Fund both of which are in substantial surplus. We also need to diversify our economy and we need to continue to invest in our infrastructure. We need to learn from the lessons of the past because if we are not careful, we will lose the ability to grow our economy through haemorrhaging our skilled people and economic attractiveness through underinvestment in public transport and housing infrastructure. The Tánaiste has already hosted briefings and has said he will host more. I welcome that and I hope that they will continue. Will he confirm if the Government is considering a short-term wage subsidy scheme model or any other Ireland-specific model which will help keep workers in their jobs?”
“We must resist the rise of the autocrat. We now need to play our role as a member of the EU to bring the US to the negotiating table but to do that we will have to stand firm with our allies and our allies will have to stand firm with us. In this House, our focus must be on helping workers in Irish firms preparing for the threat of job displacement in vulnerable sectors. We in Labour, with a policy led by my colleague, Deputy Nash, want to see a new short-term wage subsidy scheme such as the German kurzarbeit model which would keep workers in their jobs in order to retain skills and employment in exposed parts of the economy during what will be a tumultuous period.”