Order of Business - 24th May 2005

Mr. Norris: I join with my colleagues in offering
my sympathy to the parents, teachers and young
schoolfellows of the five young girls killed yesterday.
It is shocking they were cut off at this age in
their teen years. From what I heard on the radio,
they were all pleasant and intelligent people who
would have made a great contribution to life.
I raised this issue in the House on 2 December
1998, with particular reference to special schools.
There were discrepancies between the measures
taken for the safety of children attending special
schools with two or three students occupying one
seat and a lack of safety belts on buses. I suppose
this is not an appropriate moment——
Mr. Norris: However, one can also say it is time
these warnings were listened to. I wanted to raise
it in a way that was not confrontational. However,
when these issues are raised, we are always told
it is not an appropriate moment. When is it an
appropriate moment?
I have consistently raised the issue of how asylum
seekers are stuffed into hostels, which are not
inspected for fire safety. This is another tragedy
waiting to happen. However, we will be told
again, this is not an appropriate moment to raise
it. I am raising it now before there is a tragedy.
Unless we act responsibly towards those people,
stuffed into unhealthy fire hazards, mainly on the
north side of Dublin city, there will be a tragedy
with ten or 20 people killed and again we will be
told it is not an appropriate moment.
Will the Leader organise a debate on the working
conditions obtaining on the MV Normandy?
Workers on the ship, most of whom are from Latvia,
are paid approximately half the national
minimum wage, required to work seven days a
week, 12 hours a day with no holidays. The company
was already involved in a scandal concerning
the employment of a beautician who was paid
\1 an hour. This matter needs to be addressed.
Again, when it is almost over, because we are
alerted by Deputy Joe Higgins, we take up the
issue of the Gama workers. We now know we
have a similar situation with an Irish company.