David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We call them seasonal employment permits but perhaps that term has certain connotations, as my colleagues have said. We need to recognise that there are certain jobs that only occur at certain times of the year. Flower-picking and fruit-picking come to mind. People can come in to do that work for a period of time and then leave, perhaps to do similar work somewhere else. If they are here outside that period, there may not be anything for them to do. We must bear that in mind. We must ensure that the workers are protected completely and that everything possible is done to ensure there is no exploitation, that their accommodation is up to standard, the wages they get are adequate and any expenses they have are covered. We must ensure that any issues are identified and addressed. I note what the Minister said. He spoke of more protections and I would like to hear more about those.