Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

On Thursday, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, who was taking the Order of Business, told me the employment agency regulations Bill will be published this session. She told me that in response to a question I put to her about the Government's position on the temporary agency workers directive being considered by the European Union at present.

I indicated to her that the British Government, which, together with Ireland and Hungary had been one of the last three opponents of the directive, had reached agreement with the Trades Union Congress and the Confederation of British Industry and was withdrawing the objection to the agency workers directive. I asked the Minister, as there is an Employment Council on 9 June, if the Government would withdraw its block on the temporary agency workers directive.

In view of what the Minister, Deputy Harney, had to say about the employment agency regulations Bill and that it would be published this session anyway, I ask that the Government withdraw its objection to the temporary agency workers directive at EU level.

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