Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will withdraw my amendment No. 41 and will support the amendment of Deputies Cullinane and Brady. We are not only trying to deal with low-paid workers. we are also trying to deal with secure hours, and that is the issue here. The difference between 25 and 34 hours is nine hours and that is quite a lot for an employer to reduce if they want to. It involves a lot of money for people who are depending on it every week to pay the bills, such as the telephone bill or the rent. The gap between 16 and 24 hours is also too wide as it would mean going from €240 to €160 on €10 per hour. The proposal put forward by Deputies Brady and Cullinane is much tighter and protects the security of hours. It also prevents the hour to which Deputy Brady referred being unaccounted for.