The next speaker is Senator Nash who spoke at length earlier during the Commencement debate about the job losses to which the previous speaker referred. I am sure some action will be taken to deal with the matter.

I thank Senator Devine for acknowledging my work on the issue which I raised and debated earlier with the Minister of State. Apart from the requirement to ensure the staff will receive the entitlements they are due, there is a bigger issue at play - showing respect for workers caught up in insolvencies where organisations simply believe they can get away, with impunity, putting staff on the side of the street and directing them to the State insolvency fund for the redundancy payments to which they are entitled.

Some workers in the plant have worked for 25 years and built up certain rights and entitlements that employers are dodging and not fulfilling through fancy corporate footwork. They are denying staff their rights and entitlements, an issue to which I know we will return. Arising from the Clerys debacle I brought recommendations on this matter to the Government in April 2016 in terms of how workers could be better protected in the context of insolvency arrangements such as these. However, it seems we have learned nothing in this country in that regard.

I note the confidence and supply arrangement is being renegotiated. It will probably be renewed because we all know that there is very little difference philosophically or ideologically between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.