Dr. Peter Rigney:

I will answer the question in two parts. The first is by way of an allegory. A powerful story was broadcast on television on "Six One" around the time Romania and Bulgaria acceded to the EU. The International Transport Workers Federation, a multinational trade union body, stopped a ship in Dublin Port for non-payment of wages. Those responsible arrested the ship and got money from the ship owner. Ingrid Miley did a lovely Christmassy piece for "Six One" of all these Romanians smiling and waving €50 notes. The interesting thing was that the Ukrainians on the ship stayed on board because they were outside the EU. If people have rights and know they have them, they will feel free to exercise them. If they believe there is a possibility that their permission to remain in the country or their ability to send emigrant remittances – God knows, those of us in Ireland understand emigrant remittances – are in some way conditional, they will tend to keep quiet about it. We are concerned about that.

We spoke about a figure of €22,000. Normally, if the State sets a wage, it does so in a way that involves an emanation of the State. In other words, it does so by way of the Low Pay Commission, the Labour Court or the scheme of conciliation and arbitration for the Civil Service. There is a process in place, under which a person or group in the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation decided that a given figure would be the wage. We believe that in the setting of rates for work permits there should be a role for the industrial relations machinery of the State, whether the Labour Court or the Low Pay Commission. That would allow people to come in and make their pitch. I made a freedom of information request and discovered that €22,000 is in fact higher than the minimum wage. According to material we received under the freedom of information process, Meat Industry Ireland wanted the figure capped at the minimum wage. It seems the Department disagreed and made the figure higher at €22,000. To that extent, we welcome it, even if we do grudgingly. The requirement for accommodation and language training is an addition or add-on. It is to be policed by the Department and the Workplace Relations Commission, as I understand it. I have had no information about how that policing has worked to date.