The EU's proposed services directive could legitimise exploitation similar to what happened to the Turkish workers at the hands of the multinational company, Gama, the Dáil was told.
In a Private Member's motion, the Independent TDs demanded that the European Commission should introduce amendments to the draft directive to secure the optimum outcome for the welfare interests of Ireland and Europe. However, the assertion was denied by Government speakers during the debate which took place on Wednesday night and yesterday.
Government Chief Whip Tom Kitt said the Government recognised that recent events, such as the Irish Ferries dispute, had caused people to become concerned that there might be some link between that dispute and the attempt by the EU to create a single market in services.
"I wish to emphasise, yet again, on behalf of the Government, that there is not. The services directive would not permit social dumping or the exploitation of workers. And it would not be supported by the Government if it did."
The motion was signed by Independents Marian Harkin, Sligo-Leitrim; James Breen, Clare; Paudge Connolly, Cavan-Monaghan; Jerry Cowley, Mayo; Tony Gregory, Dublin Central; Séamus Healy, Tipperary South; Finian McGrath, Dublin North Central, Paddy McHugh, Galway East; Catherine Murphy, Kildare North and Joe Higgins, Socialist Party, Dublin West.
Ms Harkin said that the directive would guarantee the minimum wage but that wage was approximately half the average industrial wage. "Is that what we want?"
Mr Connolly warned that the directive represented a declaration of war on working men and women and their social, healthcare and educational provisions, which were the fruits of two centuries of struggle.
Mr McGrath said that racism and low pay should never be tolerated in a wealthy country like Ireland.
"That is my bottom line, whether one is a media person, a politician or a trade union official, or when I hear a senior political figure, the leader in the Seanad, using old colonial phrases like 'working like blacks', a Labour leader speaking in crude manner about 40 million Poles, a scriptwriter in Fair City using the phrase 'mongol' to describe a person with Down syndrome, or a serious newspaper like The Irish Times misrepresenting a report on educational disadvantage by using a misleading headline like 'lone parents' pupils read less well' when it was poor pupils who read less well."
Mr Breen said that the overriding theme of the directive was competition at the expense of quality. "The services directive removes any monitoring or regulatory controls in the case of any elderly care service provided based in any other EU member state who decides to set up practice here."
Eamon Ryan, of the Green Party, said the Greens' campaign in Europe had been based on a strong argument for introducing a directive and opening up services, while stressing the need to protect the European social model. "This is an issue on which we will take a stand."
Arthur Morgan, of Sinn Féin, said he was quite confident that people would reject the directive if they were given an opportunity to give their opinion.
Phil Hogan, of Fine Gael, said that the motion would represent a strong declaration of intent on behalf of Dáil Éireann to say to the European Commission and parliament that Ireland was at one with regard to the amendments required and changes necessary to the present drafting of the directive. But he added that many in the House, and outside, were using one part of the directive, which had no hope of being passed, to overlook some of its positive elements.
Brendan Howlin, of Labour, said the directive had at last got the focus and attention it merited. If unamended, it posed a substantial threat not only to the economy, but to the standards enjoyed by Irish workers in it.
A Government amendment, which stated that amendments to the directive would be considered with an open mind, was passed by 67 votes to 60.
