I thank Unite the Union for putting the spotlight on the issue of the need for policy and legislation addressing protections for workers in extreme weather events. The one point I will add to that of colleagues is the impact of extreme heat. It is hard to make the case about that tonight of all nights, but we know we will have more incidences of extreme heat in our summers. We know this will impact vulnerable people, the young, the elderly and people with underlying conditions. Some of these will be workers. Some will be workers operating in difficult conditions outdoors and people working in agriculture, maybe in overheated warehouses. Right now the Department of Health and HSE do not record data on excess deaths from extreme events or prolonged heat events. That is not the Minister of State's Department, but it has to change. If we are not recording these excess deaths, we cannot put in place the measures to protect vulnerable people and workers in times of extreme heat.

Sentiment score: -0.01

We can do better than this. Tonight, thousands of people, including me, will get home safely due to the hard work of workers in our public transport companies on an absolutely grim night. We have to recognise that our climate is changing and the employee protections in place at the moment will also have to change. On the point about the graduated warning system, our approach to closing schools and childcare facilities changed when we introduced that system. We have to look at its impacts on workers, particularly those in the most vulnerable areas.

Sentiment score: -0.10