Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North, Fine Gael)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill because it allows us to discuss migration and related problems here. Last week we had a frank and wide ranging, although too short, discussion on a similar policy in America. There seems to be unanimity in this House regarding the approach in America and this Bill has generally received a favourable response.

As party spokesperson on tourism I come into daily contact with many employers who are forced to employ non-nationals. Most of those working in Dublin as receptionists, porters or kitchen staff are non-nationals. Many come from EU member states and are entitled to be here but there is a demand to bring in more people from outside the European Union and this causes the problem.

There are many low-skilled jobs in tourism, such as cleaning and housekeeping. At times employers have difficulty finding Irish people to do this type of work. That is why they need a labour supply. This type of worker was exploited in the past. Under this Bill, however, the employee will have a permit which will ensure that type of exploitation does not happen in the future. Legislation for migrant workers must be firm and clear but also protect them. This is the first such Bill but probably not the last because more people will want to come to Ireland and will be needed here.

This Bill allows for a wide-ranging discussion. Two or three years ago visitors from America who came to Dublin expecting the usual céad míle fáilte and to hear an Irish accent at the hotel reception met people who were not Irish. While they did not object to that they could not get information or directions because these people knew neither the geography of, nor the events in, the city.

There should be a four or five week induction programme for people who come to work here. This might ensure that they understand the ethos of Irish tourism, namely, that visitors expect a friendly welcome whether from an Irish person or another. These workers should realise that and have the skills to provide that welcome. FÁS runs such courses but few are exposed to them. When I ask non-nationals working in hotels did they attend the FÁS course, few have even heard of it. The Minister of State might refer to that point in his reply to this debate.

There seems to be no structured language courses for migrant workers who do not speak English. This evening a person who is offering a language course for Polish people called me wanting to know if there were other people in the area to make the course viable, and there are. The VEC system could run English courses for migrant workers and others who come into the country. According to a recent survey in America, people there do not mind immigrants coming to their country who are willing to work and pay tax, as long as they learn to speak English. The same should apply here if people want to come to work and pay their taxes they should learn English and have the opportunity to do so. As part of our migrant policy we should set up a network of language classes for the immigrants, whose numbers are increasing.

We received a helpful document from the Immigration Council of Ireland showing that over the past ten years many migrant workers have come here, and between April 2004 and April 2005, almost 70,000 came. That is the highest figure since the Central Statistics Office series of annual migration estimates began. We will continue to face this problem because of the skill shortages here and the greater demand for immigrant workers.

I have met people who were exploited and am glad that the employee will now have more rights and be better protected as a result of this Bill. It is important that migrant workers be made aware of their rights when they come here. They should be made aware they can change employment here and not feel intimidated.

They should also have someone to whom they can complain. The labour inspectorate will be increased from 20 to 31 but that is a small number to carry out inspections across the country and ensure compliance with employment rights legislation. Those I met who were exploited, forced to leave the country and a few who felt terrorised were unaware of their rights, enforcement, or to whom they could complain. The provision of such information should be included in this legislation. From what the Minister has said and from having a cursory look at the Bill, I presume that when they get their work permits, all their rights will be included and attached. All the contact numbers that they need should be given. That is very important.

Regarding categories of workers, we are dependent on what Forfás sets out as our skill needs. At different times, different industries and parts of the country will need relevant skilled workers. Farming is becoming more dependent on technology and computerisation now plays a major role in it. Recently, however, an application for a permit for someone from Brazil was refused. I was asked to look into the matter and was told that it was a category of worker that can be sourced within the EU. That was not true, since the employer had tried and a person could not be found. The application was refused and is now no longer even being considered. As we know, since the country is stealing many of our markets in the beef industry, Brazil is becoming very progressive in agriculture. It is no accident and not simply because it can produce beef more cheaply. It is developing a highly technical type of farming, and we have much to learn from it.

Many people are also leaving the land, and some farmers find it difficult to find labour, even from Farm Relief. They therefore need experts at different levels. They need farm labourers, whom they can probably get within the country and certainly within the EU, but they also need others. In this instance, the Brazilians could have supplied that expertise. Unfortunately, the farmer in question was unable to bring them in. I know that it may not be possible for the Minister to reply on this aspect of employment permits but it certainly deserves his consideration.

Pillar two of the employment permits system is something with which I certainly agree, namely, the intra-company transfer scheme. Some companies in this country could do with some new thinking. Many managers have been there since the late 1980s or early 1990s and are suffering from fatigue and burn-out. The Celtic tiger was really spawned by the distress of the Irish worker at every level. Management in this country played a very important role in it, and this transfer scheme is very important, since it could bring much-needed expertise to the country. People like to travel and bring their families with them or wait until they have grown up. Some managers at very high levels of industry in companies around the world are single. We must attract such people to the country, and perhaps some of them might stay if they like it here. That certainly provides an opportunity, not only for employees but for the country itself.

Recently we have experienced a lack of scientists. We should try to attract back our own scientists who are all over the world. There has been a major drain to America, an area where one will not hear anyone from Ireland or Europe complaining. The Americans will attract scientists or people who have done valuable research. I recently saw an article in Time that discussed the brain drain from Europe. The USA has a definite policy of paying such scientists very well to attract them from Europe to conduct research in Silicon Valley and a similar area in Pennsylvania. They are trying to take people at that level, whereas we are losing them. We do not seem to have any policy to attract them back into this country. We should have one and we should also try to attract postdoctoral researchers to Ireland.

Overall, I certainly welcome this Bill. It is an attempt to produce a totally new policy and give order to existing practice, making it fair and safe for people to come and work in Ireland and to stop the exploitation of which we have heard so many examples. I can see that in this House we will be discussing immigration, emigration and employment permits again within two or three years, since they will very much become part of this country.

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