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

I strongly support this amendment. I was minded to put down a similar amendment myself but saw that Deputy Penrose had put this down already. There are two ways to do this, the way that Deputy Penrose has proposed and perhaps a statutory instrument to set out exactly what casual work is and the instances where casual work occurs.

I take the point that it is a charge on the Exchequer and the Opposition cannot impose a charge on the Exchequer, however the Government may. It is only a minimal charge on the Exchequer. Would the Minister consider amending this legislation on Report Stage, which she has the power to do? Any amendments which the Minister puts down will not be ruled out as a charge on the Exchequer. Will she consider changing the Bill on Report Stage to incorporate what Deputy Penrose is trying to achieve, either in the manner he seeks to achieve it or otherwise? That would strengthen the Bill considerably. There is a real fear that if one exempts casual work and provides a loophole for casual work, it will become a backstop for employers. This casual work will either be deliberately manufactured to come within the exemption or used as an excuse.