Michael Collins
Cork South-West · Independent Ireland · Ireland
“This matter has been raised twice already this morning, but it is hugely important. I will make a personal appeal to the Taoiseach regarding Skyclarys and the further delay that has now arisen. Yesterday, Emma O'Shea came to Leinster House from west Cork with her mother, father and brother.”
“Another huge problem which normally arises in August is that relating to school buses. Parents have no way to get their children to school because of the nearest school rule. The current and previous programmes for Government contain promises that this will be done away with, but nothing has happened. The rule needs to be abolished.”
“Every parent knows that September has become one of the most expensive months of the year. While free schoolbooks are welcome, many families now face growing costs for other items. Parents are being asked to purchase laptops that cost €400 or more, make increased payments for school transport and pay charges to cover examination fees.”
“Either 25 children are left without a school place this September, or two senior infants classes are merged into one class of 34 children. Does the Minister of State agree that schools should not be punished for helping to solve an enrolment crisis? Will he immediately sanction the additional teaching posts required for St.”
“Education should not be measured by means of the distance someone lives from school, and school transport should not be measured on that basis either. I want to raise a matter that Councillor Bill Clear brought to my attention. It is a very serious issue regarding St. Corban’s National School in Naas in County Kildare.”
“I was chairperson of a board of management and know the difficulties that schools face just because they are one or two children short. That can be made up as the year goes on but it is a crisis that Councillor Clear finds unacceptable.”
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“On the timing of the hunts, the fines are substantial for wrongdoing, reaching €10,000 on summary conviction or €250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years if there is conviction on indictment. There are also fixed-charge penalties for lesser offences. Foxes pose huge threats to farmers. If Deputy Coppinger had been brought up in a rural area, she would understand that. How many times have I heard down through the years that a fox had broken into a hen yard and destroyed every hen in the yard? They are also a threat to our native birds and young lambs. We need to have controls for foxes and hares. We should not be afraid to say that in this House. Independent Ireland will certainly be opposing the Bill going forward. If we can at some stage put in further protections, we should do that at some stage, but we have to control pests.”
“People are being criticised for their views here in Dáil Éireann. We are fully entitled to put forward views different from those Deputy Coppinger has put forward. We will be opposing the Animal Health and Welfare (Ban on Fox Hunting) Bill. We need to get a few facts right here. Foxes are classified as a pest species. Whether we agree or disagree, that is the fact. There are 150,000 to 200,000 foxes at the moment and they cause serious concern to many farmers and have done so through the years. We need to have some kind of control because the next thing we will be in here seeing if we can protect the rat, the mouse or whatever. Nobody wants to protect the human beings; that is the problem from what I can see here. We have very serious concerns. There is regulation at the moment with potential punishments for animal welfare violations.”
“We need a debate on the fishing industry. I welcome the new Minister for fisheries, who has hit the ground running from what I can see. I ask for a debate on issues such as Rockall, bluefin tuna and the extension of the black sole fishing quota season. These issues need to be discussed here urgently. Fishermen are pleading with us for that debate and I would appreciate it if the debate could take place this week.”
“I find that people are annoyed with the political system. When I knock on the door or talk to them, people say "you never got that road done for me". That is not the way it works. There is not enough funding going into County Cork, unfortunately, and the roads are not being done. We see that there are 4,000 to be done nationally so there is a massive amount of money to be got here for the local improvement scheme.”
“I appreciate that and thank the Minister. We desperately need that extra funding in some areas. The Minister said that County Cork receives the third highest amount of funding. He will be aware that Cork is the biggest county in Ireland, so we are way down the ladder if that is the case. I am not trying to be critical. The Minister is doing his best to get additional funding and we appreciate that, because there is a desperate need. People should not be waiting six or seven years. I filled in forms for a gentleman in 2017. We have spent the time since then on the phone trying to make sure it gets across the line, perhaps once an month. Ellen in my office never gave up on it. It was only last week that he was told that his road will go ahead in a month's time, which is great and it is a success. However, there is frustration.”
“When people fill in the form they expect that it could be done within a year or two, a reasonable amount of time. While the system is successful when people get it, they can be a long time waiting. Some people who fill in the form pass away before they even get to see the roadway being done.”
“I thank the Minister very much. It is a very important scheme. It is a great scheme for anyone who qualifies. The problem, as I have said, is that 4,000 applications remain outstanding and have not qualified. For all the funds that have gone into it, they are not half enough of what needs to go into it. I have spoken to Deputy Danny Healy-Rae on this issue several times. It is a big issue in his area. It is also a big issue in west Cork. The problem is that the moneys coming into west Cork are not enough to go anywhere near what needs to be done. I know of people who have been waiting for seven or eight years. A politician said to me one time that it is not a form that should be filled out because people get very annoyed and frustrated at having to wait seven or eight years to get funding for the roadway to be done.”
“The local improvement scheme, LIS, is very important for rural communities and rural roadways. At this time, the Minister might be able to explain the Department's proposals on how it intends to address the estimated 4,000 roads that remain outstanding under the scheme. I would appreciate if the Minister explained it to us.”
“We need to work through backchannels, which is the kind of diplomacy Ireland excels at, to bring both sides back from the brink. We have done this before. Ireland played a proud role in peacekeeping from the Congo to Lebanon. We understand conflict. We lived through our own Troubles. We also understand that peace is not made by shouting but by listening. This is our chance to live up to the promise of our neutrality. We should not sit idle but rather lead quickly, firmly and consistently in the name of humanity. While peace is still possible, it is important it must start with an immediate ceasefire and allowing aid to be delivered without any restrictions. In the most ironic way, I ask all Members to pray for peace in the Holyland.”
“Expelling the Israeli Ambassador would close doors to peace rather than open them. It would be immature and dangerous. As I said before, we need open dialogue, not empty gestures that makes us feel good but leave people suffering. We can lead diplomatically. Ireland must push at every international level, be that at the EU, the UN or directly with the United States, to demand: a full and immediate ceasefire; the release of hostages; full humanitarian access to Gaza; an end to settlement expansion in the West Bank; and most importantly, the resumption of peace talks aimed at a two-state solution. Independent Ireland calls for the Irish State to be practical, not performative. We need to use our relationship with the USA Administration in particular to advocate for peace.”
“A total of 431 Palestinian structures have been demolished. This is not how peace is built. Out of the 36 hospitals in Gaza, 27 have ceased operations and the remaining are functioning at partial capacity, which severally limits the availability of medical care. We must also acknowledge the pain and fear in Israel where more than 1,700 lives have been lost, including 260 innocent festival goers on 7 October. We do not condone violence by Hamas. Hamas is not a partner for peace. Its actions, rocket attacks, tunnels and hostage-taking have deepened suffering for Palestinians and Israelis alike. If Israel continues on its current path, however, it strengthens rather than weakens Hamas. Where does Ireland come in? We do not come in through grandstanding or expelling ambassadors.”
“Ireland’s neutral status, which is enshrined in the triple lock system, is not a weakness but a strength. We are not beholden to any military alliance. That makes us a trusted broker, especially for those who have no voice in the big geopolitical arenas. Our role is not to take sides but to push for peace. This war is brutal on all sides. Israel has the right to protect its citizens. No one denies that. Collective punishment and the displacement of 90% of Gaza’s population, the blocking of food and medicine and the bombing of hospitals is not defence, however. It is a breach of international law. We must be honest about the facts and not blinded by emotion or ideology. There has been 356 incidents of settler violence in the West Bank this year alone. Entire Bedouin communities have been displaced.”
“This is not a numbers game but rather a humanitarian catastrophe. The whole population of Gaza, including 930,000 children, are now in famine. With our own history of an enforced famine at the hands of an occupier, the Irish people have a unique understanding and empathy for the people of Gaza. Some 66,000 children suffer severe malnutrition and 14,000 babies are potentially facing death within 48 hours if aid does not reach them. These are not statistics; they make up sons, daughters and futures lost. There are no moral means to condone this by right-minded people. We have all seen the horrific images that no parent or child should ever have to witness of children being buried under rubble, hospitals turning to ashes and families being torn apart. We in Independent Ireland say that our neutrality gives us a powerful voice.”
“My local parish lost its post office and since then the town has been at a major loss. Will the Taoiseach be able to step in to address the Crosshaven situation? Will he give the extra funding needed to keep the doors open?”
“A report published this week by Grant Thornton, having been commissioned by the Irish Postmasters Union, predicts that more than 100 post offices could close in the next five years if they do not get an urgent injection of State funding in the region of €15 million annually. This is required to keep the network viable. The local post office, whether rural or urban, is a critical public service. Only in the last few minutes I have been reliably informed that Crosshaven post office is about to close, in the Cork South West constituency. The population of Crosshaven is 4,228 people. That is a huge loss to that community. The time for reviews and promises is long past. We need investment, innovation and real recognition that local post offices are not luxuries, they are a lifeline.”
“Private and voluntary nursing homes play a crucial role in providing quality care and must be recognised as an essential part of Ireland's mixed-model health and social care systems. Funding disparities between public and private providers are unsustainable and require immediate reform to ensure equitable funding and to safeguard access to care. This is about doing what is right, not what is politically safe. Dáil Éireann must support this motion, not for show but to ensure action is taken because when we back carers, fund home care, and protect farmers, we do not just save money, we save people. I accept that the Minister is supporting the motion, but that must be backed up with immediate action. We cannot have the same situation happening again in four to five years' time.”
“Care should be viewed as an investment in social infrastructure essential for the dignity and independence of citizens. The Government most urgently publish the fair deal pricing review to ensure rates reflect the true cost of care. Additionally, a cohesive policy framework for nursing home care is needed, as current plans overlook this vital sector. The promised policy paper on nursing home sustainability must be delivered without further delay. The nursing home sector faces significant challenges, including underfunding, workforce shortages and rising operational costs. Immediate engagement with representatives of the sector is necessary to stabilise the system and prevent further closures.”
“I have seen families forced to sell off land that has been in the family for generations just to pay nursing home bills. If you work the land, the three-year cap applies, but if you lease it to keep it productive, suddenly it does not. That is nonsense. We want leased farmland recognised as actively operated. We want fairness for every farm family. The Home Care Coalition says we need €327 million more in 2025. That is not overspending, that is catching up on years of neglect, inflation, regulation and staff shortages. None of it gets fixed by half measures. We are calling for capital grants, an ICT system and full staffing support. The Minister cannot run a health service on good intentions. Nursing Homes Ireland says Ireland's ageing population is a success story that requires strategic investment in long-term care services.”
“We need to abolish the means test altogether because care is not a luxury. It is work. It is a sacrifice. It is worth more than figures on a page. In 2024, more than 5,000 people were waiting for home support. That is not a list; it is a line of hardship. The Government has been rolling out this statutory home care scheme since 2016, and in 2025 there is still no deadline and no legal right to home care. This is not reform; it is a farce. We want a timeline. We want rights-based care in law, and not regional roulette. If you are in Dublin, maybe your mom gets a carer next week. If you are in Connemara or west Cork it could be months. Rural areas are short-staffed, underfunded and flat-out ignored. Let us be clear. No postcode should decide whether your parents get to stay in their home.”
“I appreciate the Minister of State saying the motion is not being opposed, but is the Government going to deliver? That is the question here, and it is a huge question. Since I came here in 2016, that has been the case - non-delivery for home care services. I thank John Campbell and Mark Nolan for helping us put this motion together. This motion is about people. It is about the backbone of carers. They are forgotten families. There are rural communities being left behind. It is about fairness, and right now what is happening in home care and the fair deal is not fair. Almost 100,000 people are on the carer's allowance. These are our mothers, fathers and neighbours keeping loved ones out of hospital beds with their own two hands, but we punish them with a cruel, bureaucratic means test. A threshold of €450 for a single person is insulting.”
“Will the Minister make sure in the next few months that this stocking rate stays at 250 kg N/ha in the Timoleague catchment area to reward the farmers who have worked hard to put things right? They will continue to work hard if that reward is given to them, and I would appreciate it if the Minister would announce that here today.”
“I thank the Minister. I know he said he met the farmers in Timoleague. I think the Taoiseach has met them and the previous Taoiseach met them. The farmers there are doing everything and their utmost, and farmers who pull out all the stops need to be rewarded. It is within the Minister's remit to make changes here and make sure they do not end up in a situation where they are down to 220 kg N/ha on 1 December. It would set a good example to the dairy sector and for farmers who are making such severe efforts to put things right that they are rewarded for doing so. It looks to me as if we are not going to reward these farmers for doing so and we are going to tick the box putting them in the same category as those who did not make an effort.”
“Following the interim review of the current and fifth NAP on the grounds of providing valuable scientific research, the Timoleague catchment needs to remain at the stocking rate of 250 kg N/ha. Will the Minister please reconsider the map and make adjustments?”
“I thank the Minister. This valuable catchment, which provides important research findings to the rest of the country through the agricultural catchment programme, will be subject to the stocking reduction of 220 kg N/ha from 1 December. This will make it impossible to decouple and quantify the impact of agricultural measures on water quality from a reduction in stocking rates. In fact, critics of the sector will conveniently assume that any improvements in water quality from now on will be a consequence of a reduced stocking rate limit and ignore all the good work farmers have implemented over the years, which is now delivering. SI 42 of 2025 states clearly that it is within the Minister's gift to determine what areas should be reduced to 220 kg N/ha.”
“The recent changes made to the nitrates stocking rate map need to be reconsidered. Lowering the stocking rate to 220 kg N/ha in additional areas in west Cork will have minimal, if any, impact on water quality. The Timoleague catchment has demonstrated nitrates concentration in water does not proportionally increase when the stocking rates increase. Will the Minister please reconsider the map and make adjustments? I sent the Minister a more detailed outline of this to which he might have an answer.”
“If 10% of these children are escalated to crisis care, we are looking at an additional cost of between €49 million and €80 million annually, as opposed to just €2 million to €3 million for early intervention. I ask the Minister of State to intervene. Cara has been outside the door for 50 hours. It would be good to go out and talk to her and show her the respect she deserves.”
“Each intervention is proven to be effective and helps to prevent escalation. When CAMHS is not available, the costs skyrocket. In this specific case there were six accident and emergency visits costing €4,800, three Garda interventions costing €1,350, a child and adolescent regional eating disorder services appointment costing €1,000, and inpatient care costing between €112,500 to €180,000 for a stay of 90 to 120 days in the Éist Linn CAMHS inpatient unit. The total for crisis care was between €122,750 and €190,000. This is up to 25 times more expensive than early intervention. If we look at the bigger picture, nationally over 4,200 children are currently on CAMHS waiting lists. In west Cork, 40% of the children on waiting lists have been waiting for over a year.”
“The research also found that the need for mental health support in this age bracket had risen by 50% in the last 20 years. I was recently contacted by a west Cork mother whose 14-year-old daughter had been referred to CAMHS in August 2024. She did not receive any help and this led to serious consequences, including multiple suicide attempts and escalating intervention from emergency services. The lack of early intervention by CAMHS led to higher costs and worse outcomes for this child and the case is typical of the vast majority of young adolescents needing mental health support. In this case the costs of early intervention CAMHS assessment, therapy, etc., is over €4,901 over four to six months. This includes occupational therapy, speech therapy and psychotherapy.”
“This includes a recruitment drive for psychologists and elimination of unnecessary red tape. We must ensure every Department stops recommending an assessment of needs is required to access services. Cara and her father Mark have rightly called for this situation to be treated as a national emergency. They remind us that laws are being systematically broken and it is our duty to rectify this. How can we expect our youth to respect the law when we as leaders fail to uphold it? We must act now. We must provide the necessary funding and resources to ensure every child receives the support they need. While I am speaking about waiting times, according to research mental illness accounts for 45% of the overall burden of disease in individuals between the ages of ten and 24.”
“The HSE is legally bound to complete a full assessment within six months of receiving an application but only 7% of these assessments are completed on time. This delay is not just a bureaucratic failure but a breach of trust and a violation of our commitment to these children. In west Cork the waiting time is over 27 months once assessed. Children then have to wait for services and this can take four to six months. The child is losing nearly three years between waiting for assessment and getting services. This is generally 25% to 50% of their lives spent waiting for vital services. That has a severe knock-on effect on the life of that child. The Minister, Deputy Foley, has acknowledged the broken state of our system and called for an all-of-government approach to streamline the process.”
“Our children with additional needs deserve our unwavering support and immediate action. Over 15,000 children are currently waiting for an assessment of needs, which is a crucial step in identifying their health and educational requirements as outlined in the Disability Act 2005. Our system is failing these children and their families. The HSE projects that without additional funding and resources this waiting list could swell to over 25,000 by the end of the year. This is unacceptable. I highlight the incredible efforts of Cara Darmody, a 14-year-old campaigner who has taken a stand for her brothers Neil and John and all children with disabilities. Cara has bravely initiated a 50-hour protest outside the Dáil and has been joined by Opposition leaders to demand that the Government fulfil its obligations.”
“It is 23 weeks and four days since the general election took place and almost four months since junior Ministers were appointed to their positions. However, powers have yet to be delegated to more than 50% of junior Ministers by this Government. The Taoiseach knows well the major housing crisis we have and the major challenges faced by small businesses, by communities that do not have flood relief schemes and by young people waiting for close to 13 months for their driving tests. Powers have not yet been delegated to the junior Ministers who are meant to deal with these issues and to make changes. Will the Taoiseach tell the people why a process to delegate powers to junior Ministers, which took just two to three weeks after the formation of previous Governments, is now taking four months?”
“Communities throughout Ireland are in huge fear as they await flood relief schemes. Many of these communities just need simple river cleaning before their houses are flooded again. The bottom line is that we need a debate. I have been promised it might happen soon but I have been looking for a debate for the past number of weeks. We need an urgent debate. We never know when a flood will strike. The sun is shining right now but it might not continue. People are in living in terror that their homes will be flooded again.”
“Nobody has control over badgers or deer. I do not know if this has happened to the Minister, but a lot of people have been talking to me about the spreading of slurry and the new changes. A lot of slurry stays in the ground for the year. I would like to talk about ACRES and I have spent ages raising it several times. Some 9,000 people were looking for their ACRES payment for 2024, then 2,000 in 2023. This is a serious issue. I could be here talking about agricultural issues for an hour. They are of huge importance.”
“I ask the Minister to address that. It would be as if the Minister for Health told the House she would name and shame everybody who got Covid. TB is not something farmers want on their farms. I do not know of any farmer - I have never met one in my life, at least - who would encourage TB onto his or her land. I have experienced TB myself as a farmer and had to take it on the chin, clear it and get on with life. I know the Minister has a lot of work to do in that regard. A lot of people have emailed and texted me to raise their concerns about naming and shaming. It has terrified some people who genuinely have been locked up and cannot help it. It is out of their hands. Badgers and deer are running wild, but we are not allowed to. Every farmer has to fence his or her land and make sure that animals do not go into neighbours' lands.”
“This means that land use planning will need to incorporate measures to protect these soils and contribute to climate change mitigation. Farmers have expressed frustration over the lack of consultation and compensation for the new restrictions. There is a call for better engagement with farmers to ensure the policy is fair and implementable. I am trying to touch on issues briefly, as I do not have much time. There is a TB summit. Restrictions are being piled on farmers and cattle. Badgers are the main problem here, and also deer. They are never tested. Infected badgers will spread TB all over a farm and to cattle as well. Some herds are being tested two or three times per year. There was a statement, and I do not know whether it was from the Minister or the Department, that farmers would be named and shamed. That is a shocking statement.”
“GAEC 2 introduces restrictions on activities such as ploughing, planting trees and selling land for forestry. These restrictions claim to protect carbon-rich soils but can limit farmers' land use options. The restrictions under GAEC 2 may lead to decreasing land value, especially where land was previously valued for forestry purposes. Farmers are concerned that the economic value of their land will be significantly reduced. Farmers will need to obtain planning permission for various activities, including draining land, building structures and even ploughing and reseeding. This adds an administrative layer to basic farming practices. GAEC 2 aligns with national EU obligations to reduce land emissions for farmed organic soils and peatlands.”
“Farm organisations such as the IFA and ICSA have expressed several concerns and positions regarding the Common Agricultural Policy. I remember someone advising me once that farming was from the shoulders up. The farming we knew when we were growing up was from the shoulders down. People worked hard on their farms and delivered for the people in this country. When it comes to a debate on agriculture, this whole Dáil should be full to the brim because without Irish farmers and the clean farming they are carrying out, this country would starve. People do not recognise that. There are lot of serious concerns about the good agricultural and environmental condition, GAEC. It will have several implications for land use planning. I am particularly concerned about the management of peatlands and wetlands.”
“They argue that CAP should provide better mechanisms to stabilise prices and protect farmers from unpredictable market changes. The complexity and bureaucracy involved in applying for CAP payments or complying with its regulations are often cited as significant challenges. Farmers feel the administrative burden is too high and detracts from their ability to focus on farming. There is a need for more support to encourage young people to enter farming. Farmers argue that CAP should do more to facilitate generational renewal and make farming a viable career for younger generations. These issues highlight the ongoing challenges and areas where Irish farmers seek improvements in the CAP to better support their livelihoods and the agricultural sector as a whole.”
“Many farmers feel that CAP payments disproportionately benefit larger and wealthier farmers. Smaller farmers struggle to compete and receive less support. This issue has arisen in my constituency. It was an issue for me when I was farming. It was a serious issue for a lot of people. There was an unfair balance and that needs to be rectified in any new CAP negotiations. While there is support for sustainable farming, some farmers find the environmental regulations under CAP to be overly stringent and costly to implement. They argue that these regulations can be burdensome and may not always align with practical farming needs. Farmers are concerned about the lack of adequate measures to protect against market volatility.”
“I have worn a pair of wellingtons, so I think I qualify to speak on behalf of agriculture. I have spent the past five weeks at Business Committee meetings raising concerns. The House needs to debate these issues. I appreciate that the Minister is present to debate, in particular, CAP, ACRES payments, the TB situation, GAEC, derogations, farm retirements, farm inspections, the Mercosur deal, horticulture, organic farming, the fair deal scheme, which is a very unfair deal when it comes to the farming community, and carbon tax. I will not touch on all of those issues because the Ceann Comhairle would have me out on top of my head, since I do not have that much time. There are serious concerns about the CAP negotiations. Many Irish farmers have raised several concerns and disputes regarding the Common Agricultural Policy.”
“This is my first chance to welcome the Minister to his new role and I wish him the best going forward. I also welcome the IFA president, Mr. Francie Gorman, who is here with us. I acknowledge the volunteers on the ground in farm organisations, such as Mr. Tadhg Healy and previously Mr. Donal O'Donovan in west Cork. Tadhg is my right ear most weeks on farm issues and Mr. Dermot Kelleher, of the ICSA, is my left ear. I do not know which ear is the best but they are certainly keeping me on my toes when it comes to agriculture. I acknowledge I have a conflict of interest. I am a farmer. My son is actively farming now. I am not farming anymore, but I still own the farm. As I said during a previous debate, if you want to talk about farming, you would want to wear a pair of Wellingtons first.”
“I have young adults being offered jobs but they cannot take them up because they cannot get driving tests. The other side of it is that their insurance costs are not getting any lower because they have not passed their tests. I have parents who have terminal cancer and who need their children on the road to take them to hospital and to appropriate appointments. They cannot do so, however, because they cannot get driving tests. It is not good enough. Things have to change, and change immediately.”
“For example, I am aware of the case of a young lad went to sit his test recently. The tester checked his insurance disc and said it was not valid as it was black. In fact, it was a dark green. I saw it because the young man brought it into the constituency office. A blind man would have seen what colour it was. The tester informed him he would not do the test for him and then went on to cancel other tests for that date - he obviously had a bad day - citing some excuse or other. The Garda has told the young lad his disc is correct. The insurance company has sent a letter to the RSA stating this was a correct disc but the latter will not admit that what happened to this young lad was wrong. I have asked the RSA to deal with this matter but to no avail.”
“The Minister of State, Deputy Canney, said on 1 May, "The current delays in the driver testing system are simply not acceptable." He also said, "People deserve a national driver testing service that they can rely upon", and that he will continue to hold the RSA to account until we see meaningful progress. To be honest, we are all fed up of hearing the same old line over and over again. I have young adults and their parents texting and ringing me. They are begging me - as is the case with everyone here - to get driving tests for them. All we get back as TDs are the same generic answers and the usual spin. Previous speakers referred to 35- and 43-week waiting times in Tallaght. I am delighted they got a second testing centre, and they deserve that. People in Skibbereen are waiting between 40 and 44 weeks for driving tests.”
“As I said, however, there needs to be a watchdog over the unions too. Some small people get chewed up and do not get representation from a union where they should. I have seen that over the years. The first thing I do when somebody comes to me with a problem is ask what their union says. They may say their union is not representing their view. There are questions as to why a union that is meant to protect a person's viewpoints is not doing so at that point. I have worries about small businesses. This Bill would create difficulties and would probably create extra costs. As I said a while ago, some of these small employers do not have legal people, so there are extra costs in trying to bring on people like that. We just have to be a little careful.”
“However, being an employee and an employer for 30 years, I never felt the need to be in a union. I felt I was able to stand up on my own two feet and fight the cause if there needed to be a fight, although most of the time there was not. In the other situation, as an employer, I always tried to work closely with the people I was employing to make sure they were adequately looked after and that we did not bring a situation to a head. I find that many issues can be resolved before disputes get to a head. Unfortunately, there needs to be someone with some negotiating skills in every employment situation. I saw the value in what happened with Debenhams, which Deputies O'Flynn and Coppinger mentioned. The employees of that company were treated terribly and that is where the benefit of a trade union came in.”
“That is where it leads to difficulties. Like my colleague, Deputy O'Flynn, I was both an employer and an employee for 30 years before I came into the Dáil. I was never involved in a union in my life. Thankfully, I was never involved in disputes, although in one sense I was in the community voluntary sector. We had issues with work schemes, although these people were not unionised. In one of the community voluntary groups I was involved with - I was chairman of it at the time - we had 70 workers through the rural social scheme, RSS, the HSE, the community services programme, CSP, Tús, the whole lot of them. Those workers, who were trying to deliver in the community, did not really have a union voice as such and that may have created protections for us as community and voluntary employers.”
“One person in west Cork told me they paid €700. That is another crippling cost for small businesses, so I have concerns for small businesses. We will be supporting this going forward. However, I often meet people who come to my clinic and who have problems in their worker space. I ask them what their union is doing, and the answer I get is, "Nothing". I begin to wonder if there is a watchdog over unions. We can talk about protecting workers and their having a union, which is hugely important, but we also need to see a watchdog over the unions to see if they are delivering because it looks to me that in many cases they do not deliver for certain people. It causes great frustration and leads to me, a politician, asking how I can resolve the situation when they are paying into a union and the union will not resolve it. Where do I have to go?”
“While the Trade Union Recognition Bill 2021 aims to strengthen workers' rights, small businesses may face challenges with administrative tasks, flexibility, legal compliance, workplace harmony and financial stability. Small businesses are at this time undergoing huge difficulties. If we look at the costs even for a cafe or restaurant, they have VAT, rates, power, PRSI, PAYE, Internet, refuse, repairs and foods to be purchased. This Bill, while it aims to protect employees' rights, which are hugely important, might cause great and further difficulty. Some of these businesses are fighting for the reduction of the 13.5% rate to 9%, which is not happening. At this time, the local authority in Cork is even hitting them with charges for the seats outside their doors. They are being hit with rates for seating.”