Ms Edel McGinley:

There is an issue with low pay in general in society and the meat industry is no different in that respect. We are concerned with granting more rights to workers so they can move employment if a better job comes up or they are offered something different that they want to do. We advocate for the elimination of the general employment permit and all work in the State to be looked at in terms of critical and essential skills.

There is a huge number of safeguards in the State already with regard to immigration and labour market needs tests in terms of the 50-50 rule. There are many safeguards already in place but these are not for workers. We want to give workers better rights in the sphere that parliamentarians control, including work permits. We do not have control over the rate of pay that workers get under the employment permit system. It was diminished in the last quota process for this industry. We can give people better family rights and rights in the labour market.

We can do that easily at the stroke of a pen in this legislation and we should do that for workers.