I welcome all the unions in the Gallery today and thank them for their ongoing work in standing up for workers' rights. I acknowledge the Northern Ireland Minister for the economy, Sinn Féin's Caoimhe Archibald MLA, who is currently proposing a good jobs Bill in the North of Ireland, which represents the most significant workers' rights legislation. As we approach May Day, we are reminded that this is not just a moment of reflection, but a call to action and a time to reaffirm our commitment to securing workers' rights fit for the 21st century. Workers are the backbone of our society, yet here we are in 2026 when the State is awash with money but thousands of workers feel undervalued, underpaid and overlooked. They are working harder than ever but struggling more than ever as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite in housing, groceries, childcare and healthcare. We believe it is essential to legislate to give workers and the trade unions the legal right to organise and to deliver a legal right to collective bargaining. The Government needs to provide that right to collective bargaining through a union and provide unions with legal access to the workplace. A figure of 52% of Government TDs supported a pledge for collective bargaining before the last general election, including the Minister, Deputy Burke. It reminds me of Pat Rabbitte saying that that is what you do during elections, namely, make promises. While we are talking about workers' rights, we need to look at the rights of workers here in Leinster House, such as the Oireachtas broadcast workers and how unfairly they are being treated while being denied employment protections. I have previously highlighted the poor conditions under which Oireachtas broadcasting staff operate. They are paid a pittance, denied employment protections and forced to rely on social welfare when the Oireachtas is not sitting. They must go from the Dáil to the dole when the House is in recess. If this debate is truly about fairness, dignity and workers' rights, then we must also address the complete neglect of young workers. I want to acknowledge the concerns raised by the National Youth Council of Ireland. It has made it clear that young people are being left behind. Young workers starting off face the same cost-of-living pressure such as rent, insecure jobs, and higher insurance costs, hitting over €2,000 in a lot of cases. This is another cost that the Government has failed to get on top of. We have seen good, decent people protest recently to stand up against the cost of living during the fuel protests. Instead of being on the side of workers - the very people who keep this country running - threats were issued by Ministers who chose escalation over talks. We need the minimum wage in line with the living wage. Further delays until 2029 should be scrapped and it should happen now. A figure of 52% of workers do not believe they are fairly paid for the work they do, and the figure is higher for women and people on lower incomes. Workers deserve fair pay for the work they do and safe working conditions. They deserve protections so that if they highlight health and safety issues, they will not be penalised and lose their jobs. Just today, one worker contacted our office and stated how many workers in the workplace were afraid to join their union, SIPTU, for fear of losing their jobs. It is time this Government stood up for all workers in Ireland and supported this legislation, which will enhance workers' rights.

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