Beverley Flynn (Mayo, Independent)

The purchase of a work permit is an expensive cost for many employers and they may also be required to purchase visas on a six-monthly basis, which is another €100. I question the need for multiplying the cost and it could be perceived as a money racket. I appreciate the administrative work must be done but I argue the same amount of work is involved in granting a permit for two or three years as for one year.

I welcome the proposals for the protection of migrant workers. County Mayo has a non-national population of Latvians, Filipinos and many Polish workers from the EU. It has come to my attention through my constituency work that some of these workers have not been content in their employment. The existing work permit system is a form of being sold into slavery because the worker is tied to one employer and cannot move. I am aware of cases where workers have found another job but with the consent of the employer and where they were granted a new work permit with a new employer. However, if relations between an employer and an employee are hostile, this solution cannot be achieved. Many people as a result left their jobs and have remained in the country as undocumented persons. This is the reason for my question as to the statistics available on those numbers.

I stress the importance of informing newly arrived migrant workers of their rights regarding the minimum wage and the work they have been permitted to undertake. The proposal to include such information on the work permit is to be welcomed. The Bill will prohibit employers from deducting expenses associated with recruitment and remuneration and from retaining documentation. I regard the practice of the retention of documents, such as a passport, by the employer as quite disgusting. Under the current system a work permit is issued to the employer. The Bill proposes that the work permit will be held by the employee with a copy provided to the employer and this is to be welcomed. Some migrant workers are better informed than others as to their rights. However, the existence of a network of information within national communities allows workers to become well informed.

Several television programmes, such as "Prime Time", have highlighted the mistreatment of migrant workers. I welcome the Minister's proposal to improve the inspectorate in order to tackle the mistreatment of workers. It is to be hoped there will be sufficient inspectors to carry out this work. Unless some penalties are attached to abuse of the legislation it will continue.

I refer to section 19(4) which deals with renewals of work permits. It states that in an application for renewal of a permit for a person who has been working here for five years or more, the period for which the permit may be renewed on foot of that application may be unlimited. If a person is here for more than five years, is it the Minister's intention to grant them a permanent work permit and full residency status?

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