Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE) | Oireachtas source

We will not persuade the Minister of State and he will not persuade us. The protections will not change the essence of the thing which is that a particular employee can bring in someone for a few months. They are absolutely tied to that employer. They cannot go elsewhere and at the end they must leave. Inherently that is rife for exploitation, particularly when we consider the industries involved here, the low rates of pay and some quite horrific conditions that exist.

Deputy O'Reilly referred to some of the stuff that was exposed during the Covid pandemic. All that is happening in the context of the WRC being greatly under-resourced. Despite what the Minister of State said, nobody believes the WRC will be properly resourced. He is not giving that commitment now and it was not given in the budget. It will not happen to a sufficient degree.

I just do not see the Minister of State bringing forward sufficient protections, in that context, that it will change the essence of what seasonal employment permits are.