I am glad to say that today is International Justice Day for Cleaners and Security Staff. There are protests and events happening right across the world, organised by our wonderful trade union movements. I am particularly proud of my union, SIPTU. I used to represent our contract cleaners and security staff. I am glad to inform the House that there is a protest taking place right now outside University Hospital Limerick. The protest is because the workers have still not been paid their pandemic bonus of €1,000. Considering how poorly paid these workers are – the contract cleaners get just €11.90 per hour and, even worse, the security staff get just €11.65 because of the collapsed employment regulation order, ERO – it is outrageous that they have been left waiting so long for the bonus payment. These are the lowest-paid workers, the workers who kept our hospitals open during the Covid pandemic. They are on the front line every day.

I want to draw the attention of the House to the plight of the security staff, in particular, because the ERO has collapsed due to a High Court injunction. What I found incredibly disappointing was the complete lack of action from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and our Ministers to deal with that injunction. It has been sitting there for months. Negotiations for a new ERO have been started, but, relatively speaking, the rate of pay of security staff has never been lower, which is appalling. The lack of Government action needs to be called out. I am trying to do that this morning. I call for solidarity and support for the immediate payment of the bonus to all contract cleaners and security staff who qualify for it.

I have raised a couple of times the question of why the Houses of the Oireachtas do not act as a living-wage employer. Why can we not all agree here that the cleaning staff who work so hard across this building should be paid €13.85 per hour, the current living wage, and set an example for employers throughout the State in the public and private sectors? I have raised this before but we need to see it happen. There should be no delay.

I join the Senator in thanking the cleaning and security staff in our hospitals. I had the pleasure of working as a porter when I was going to college, so I know at first hand the work the staff do. I join the Senator in thanking them. The Senator, like many other Senators, has raised the issue of the pandemic unemployment payment.

With regard to the living wage, the Senator's party, like other parties, has a member on the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission. Maybe he could raise the issue with that member so it can then be raised at a commission meeting.

I welcome the students from St. Patrick's Girls' National School, Hollypark, Foxrock. They are most welcome. I thank them for being here and hope they have a very pleasant visit to Leinster House. In keeping with the summer tradition, I thank the teachers and advocate no homework for the students for the remaining two days of the week. The teachers would like to see them rewarded with the sunshine for the hard work they have put in this year. I thank them for being here.