I have been working with this particular group of Covalen staff since January when the initial threats of redundancies were mooted. Since then, we have seen much larger redundancy numbers hitting this group. It has been an inspiring experience to work with them. They are a newly mobilised part of the workers' sector where tech and data workers are realising how precarious their jobs are right now in the context of artificial intelligence. Rather than going over what has already been discussed in the Chamber, I will pick up from an exchange last week when in response to questions from Deputy Pa Daly, the Minister of State said that Ireland has a strong robust legal framework in place to protect workers experiencing redundancy. I really want to question and interrogate that today. Although these workers have been mobilised, because we have a voluntary system they have found this new understanding of workers’ rights but then they have been faced with the fact that the company does not have to meet them there. One of the workers who emailed me stated, "Currently a majority of impacted staff do not meet the criteria for the statutory redundancy entitlements - it is crucial that the department intervene to demonstrate that AI related job cuts of this magnitude are not allowed to have such disproportionately negative consequences for workers"

Sentiment score: 0.09

I cannot think of a better description than "head in the sand" for the Government's response to AI and labour displacement. To tell us that labour is going to be augmented and not displaced because of AI is genuinely shocking to me. When I raise AI and labour displacement, this is what I get - we are focusing on reskilling and retraining, jobs are going to improve and we are going to have better jobs. There is no recognition of the massive transformation that is happening in society and there are no efforts to deal with it. If this is the Government's canary in the coalmine and an example of what is happening, and this is its response to what is happening to Covalen workers, then we are doomed because there is so much more of this coming down the track. To pretend that it is just going to make jobs better is so ridiculous.

Sentiment score: -0.21