Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 13 April 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

General Scheme of Employment Permits (Consolidation and Amendment) Bill 2019: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Paul GavanPaul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the parties for their presentations and patience this morning.

I want to start by referring to a report produced by MRCI last November. It is called Working to the Bone. It has a lot of crucial information on working conditions in the meat industry. It states: "This research reveals the systemic culture of poor and dangerous working conditions, with employers who put profit before the health and safety of their workers." It also states: "This sector relies on low wages to make a profit and needs to change to invest in the long-term health and safety of its workforce." It is a truly shocking report. We are talking about work permits. I would be very sceptical about this Government issuing further work permits to a sector that operates in the way described. To be fair to MII, perhaps I should ask its representatives to comment on the report.

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