Tacaím leis na rialacháin seo le cearta oibrithe a chosaint agus le buíochas a thabhairt don Aire Eacnamaíochta, Conor Murphy, as an obair thábhachtach sin a chur chun cinn.

Cosnaíonn na rialacháin oibrithe ar fud an Tuaiscirt ar an éiginnteacht fostaíochta a chruthaigh Breatimeacht. Cosnaíonn siad cearta na n-oibrithe chun saoire bliantúla le pá; an ceart saoire bhliantúil, saoire mháithreachais agus saoire aithreachais a thabhairt ar aghaidh; saoire uchtaithe; agus cúiteamh bainteach le teidlíocht ar bith ar shaoire bhliantúil.

Is iomaí buntáiste don fhostaitheoir agus don fhostaí a thig ó bheith ag cosaint chearta na n-oibrithe chun saoire le pá. Ó thaobh an fhostaitheora de, cuidíonn sé le saineolas agus le scileanna a choinneáil, agus ardaíonn sé táirgiúlacht sa lucht saothair. Cuireann táirgiúlacht ard le brí agus le fuinneamh na heacnamaíochta.

Tá an cuspóir sin i gcroílár an chláir oibre atá ag Conor Murphy don fhás eacnamaíochta agus don rathúnas ar fud an Tuaiscirt agus i gcomhthéacs eacnamaíochta uile-oileáin. Tá tábhacht ar leith leis na cosaintí seo do fhostaithe agus dá dteaghlaigh, nó cuireann siad ar chumas fostaithe aghaidh a thabhairt ar chúrsaí tábhachtacha teaghlaigh ar a éascaíocht. Lena chois sin, cuidíonn na cosaintí le fostaithe sásamh a bhaint as a gcuid oibre, agus cuireann siad le dea-bhraistint na bhfostaithe.

Má bhíonn oibrithe sona sásta, beidh siad táirgiúil, agus is treise agus is cothroime don eacnamaíocht nuair a dhéantar cearta na n-oibrithe a chosaint mar is ceart. Leag an tAire Eacnamaíochta amach an mhian atá aige Poist Mhaithe a chruthú agus eacnamaíocht a fhorbairt sa Tuaisceart a bhainfeas tairbhe as an acmhainn atá i gcreat Windsor.

Má tá clár le bheith ann le Poist Mhaithe a chruthú, ní mór lán-chosaint chearta na n-oibrithe, pá mhaith, cinnteacht phoist agus cearta cinnte ar chomh-mhargáil bheith ina gcuid lárnach de. Tá na cosaintí sin riachtanach má táimid le teaghlaigh rathúla fholláine a chothú in eacnamaíocht bheo bhríomhar.

Molaim an tAire as an chúram atá sé a dhéanamh de na tosaíochtaí sin.

[Translation: I support the regulations to protect the rights of workers and thank the Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy, for progressing this important work. The regulations protect workers across the North from the employment insecurity created by Brexit. They specifically protects workers' rights to paid annual leave; the right to carry over annual leave, maternity/paternity leave; adoption leave; and compensation related to any entitlement for annual leave. There are many benefits for the employer and the employee from the protection of workers' right to paid leave. In the case of an employer, it helps in the retention of knowledge and skills and promotes higher levels of productivity in the workforce. Higher productivity contributes to a stronger and more vibrant economy. That objective is at the heart of Minister Conor Murphy's agenda for economic growth and prosperity across the North and in the context of a functioning all-island economy. Those protections are of particular importance for employees and their families because they provide flexibility in addressing important family matters, as well as contributing to an overall sense of job satisfaction and well-being. Happy workers are productive workers, and our economy is stronger and fairer when workers' rights are properly protected. The Minister for the Economy has set out his ambition to create a good jobs programme, to build an economy in the North that capitalises on the potential of the Windsor framework. An integral part of any good jobs programme must be the full protection of workers' rights, good pay, job security and guaranteed collective bargaining rights. Those are essential to sustaining healthy and prosperous families in a vibrant economy. I commend the Minister for his attention to these priorities.]