Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We definitely will not get an answer to that question in this session. That is for sure but the question needs to be asked. I fully support the amendment being included in this Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017 because this is a scourge on our society. I will not go on about it because we could be here all day. Deputy O'Dea read out the list of the conditions and they are laughable. I have taken cases to the Revenue Commissioners recently where I have demonstrated in black and white that a certain person would meet all of the criteria as an employee and they did not want to know because in situations where the Revenue Commissioners are getting the money out of a worker, they are happy. They are moneys that should have been paid by their employers. It is absolutely appalling. If we factor in the Supreme Court decision, which correctly and finally has led to a scenario where people in direct provision are allowed to access the labour market, we know the Government put in an interim scheme which means that somebody has to get a job with pay of €30,000 in order to be allowed to work. Given that public servants are not even getting that, the chances of that are slim to none but they are also entitled to self-employment. Since that limited, bad enough, scheme as it is, only one person has got a job but there have been hundreds of self-employment applications from people in direct provision so this is a backdoor way around of avoiding even paying the minimum wage. Let us be clear about it. If we do not get something into a Bill like this, and unless we address this, there is no point talking about banded hours and security of income. It is a bit aspirational but it is very meritorious that it is here and it should be supported.