Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I want to go back to the issue of seasonal employment permits. Ms Dunne went some distance in assuring me when she spoke about an indicative wage, which I assume would be above the minimum wage, and that the Department would look at transport, accommodation and so on. That is encouraging. I assume the Department will engage with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in this regard. I accept there are sectors - and outliers in those sectors - that would need this, and horticulture was referred to. I am concerned that we would facilitate industries or employers who do not want to pay a fair wage and who would not want to give people their rights, and language is a consideration. In fairness, Ms Dunne said a lot of things - without being asked - that were reassuring, but I would like to have more on that. Ms Dunne referred to six to nine months' duration. Nine months seems to be a long time for a seasonal permit, given that it may be getting renewed annually. I would like some further clarity on that. Perhaps I could get answers to these first and then pose another question later if that is okay.