Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)

Since the Minister of State and the senior Minister are both new to the Department, I ask them to look again at this issue. A sectoral approach is a way of long fingering real change. There is no obstacle to having one overarching piece of legislation that automatically protects all employees at the same time, rather than waiting for an appropriate piece of legislation which in some areas might take a decade to implement. This is an important matter for whole sectors of the community. It is important to shine the light of public knowledge into dark crevices in the way business is done in this country. It should be part of that phalanx of legislation, which includes freedom of information and the electoral Acts, which have improved public confidence in the operation of business and the operation of public administration. Will the Minister at least indicate his willingness to have an open mind on this issue?

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