Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No 1:

In page 5, line 22, after “provisions” to insert “but not later than 12 months after the passage of this legislation by both Houses of the Oireachtas”.

Section 1(2) says "This Act shall come into operation on such day or days as the Minister may appoint by order". We have been waiting a long time for this legislation to materialise. The reason for the legislation is because a large cohort of employees in the State have suffered exploitation due to their circumstances and the fact that they on these types of if-and-when contracts, short-term contracts and so on. The exploitation continues and will do so until such a time as the Bill is enacted, comes into effect and deals with the exploitation to some extent. It is important to bring the legislation into operation at the earliest possible opportunity. My amendment seeks to put a 12 month deadline on the period after the Bill is passed.

It seeks to ensure that the Bill will be in operation 12 months after its passage through both Houses of the Oireachtas, at the latest.