Ahern hints at laws for Irish Ferries case

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern indicated that legislation might be introduced to deal with issues like the proposed controversial redundancy package in Irish Ferries.

"If there is a requirement for changes to legislation in this regard, obviously the relevant Department would look at some of the issues arising," he said.

"However, we have made our points very clearly to Ibec, which, I think, along with the company, accepts them."

Mr Ahern said that the preliminary advice from the Attorney General, as to whether or not a statutory redundancy situation would exist, was that, on the basis of the information available, it might not fall within the definition of the redundancy payments Acts.

"No formal communication as yet has been received from Irish Ferries, so the discussions go on," he added.

The matter was raised by Joe Higgins (Socialist Party, Dublin West) who accused Mr Ahern of "utterly empty lip service" in condemning the proposed deal in the House last week.

It had emerged, said Mr Higgins, that the Government had given millions of euros to the company in the past year in redundancy grants to do exactly the same thing to 150 workers on the MV Normandy.

"The conditions sought by Irish Ferries for their new workers can only be described as semi-bonded labour, to slave for 84 hours a week, to work months on end with no break, to eat and sleep on their workplace, the ship, for €3.50 an hour," he added.

"That is a mere €3.50 more than the galley slaves of ancient Rome, except, I am sure, if we were around in those days, the galley bosses would have saved us from guff about workers' rights."

Mr Higgins said that such naked greed placed the moral standards of the likes of Irish Ferries "somewhere between those of a slum landlord and a slave trader".

Yet, he added, they were told that 95 per cent of all ships in and out of Irish waters now had so-called contracted out labour.

"Why are ships flying banana boat flags of convenience allowed to ply EU waters with impunity after all the Taoiseach's talk of social charters, workers' rights and the rest of it during, for example, recent referendums?" he asked.

Mr Ahern said if Mr Higgins was saying firms which faced change and opposition should never make anyone redundant, he knew the impracticality of it.

"The reality is we are now in a situation where normal industrial relations are being followed, which I welcome," he added. "We should leave the discussions to take place where they rightly should, that is, in the Labour Court."