Paul Kehoe (Wexford, Fine Gael)

I do not see too many jobs coming to Wexford. I could bring the Minister of State, Deputy Killeen, to many places in Wexford for which we are seeking jobs.

There is nothing as bad as 60, 70, 200, 300 or whatever number of employees being brought into their workplace and told that the company is closing down in one, two or three weeks. These employees would have given so much to that company and would have so much on their shoulders, whether it be in the form of mortgages, car loans, credit union loans, bank loans, etc. Due to the fact the employees were left in the dark and that this happened all of a sudden, they would not be in a position to seek alternative employment, streamline or whatever. It has often been the case that a workforce has had better ideas than management in terms of how to keep a firm afloat. There were reports last week about a company in Sligo that was taken over by an American company and closed down within a number of months. That must have been devastating news for the employees. They were sure that a multinational company was taking over and thought that their futures were bright, that they would be there for many years and that, perhaps, they would climb the ladder within the company. However, all of a sudden the entire company has been shut down. I do not doubt that this news was devastating for all involved, particularly in the lead-up to Christmas.

There are still major questions surrounding this legislation, for example, how much of a difference will it make to most of the firms within Ireland. The largest companies already have their own consultation procedures with their workforces and the smallest are not contemplated under the provisions of this Bill.

Is the Minister introducing a Bill that will just sit on the shelf? There are far too many of those already. They sit on Government shelves beside an increasing number of reports. In a parliamentary question tabled earlier in the year, I asked each Department how much it spent on reports. There is a large number of such reports, which either have not been implemented or which are just lying on Government shelves gathering dust. It is easy to introduce a Bill or to undertake a report on a matter merely to avoid answering a question. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, formerly the Minister for Health and Children, was brilliant in undertaking reports to avoid answering questions.

The Government would never have introduced a Bill like this on its own initiative. The only reason it has done so is because it was given a direction from Europe. Most of this type of legislation has been handed down from Europe. Why is it left to the European Commission or the European Parliament to make these laws? Why is the Government not doing its duty in this regard?

I have no doubt that the Government is running out of steam and ideas. One need only look at the legislative programme to see that it has almost given up in that regard. However, it finally introduced this Bill after a long wait and I suppose we all should be grateful that the legislation has come this far.

I must criticise the Bill for the creeping bureaucracy I see within it. There is much provision for certain numbers of employees to trigger certain actions. My feeling is that this sort of approach leads to, rather than avoids, conflict. There is no need for the Bill to be bureaucratic. The idea behind it is simple and sensible. It is the Government that has added the red tape to this Bill. We have seen what red tape can do in any walk of life. It is ludicrous bringing red tape into the Bill. The Government cannot make it pure and simple. I refer, for example, to the new section 18, introduced on Committee Stage in the Seanad, which provides that the Minister may appoint inspectors for the purposes of the legislation. The powers of the inspectors are set out and include that to enter certain premises to make such examinations or inquiries as may be necessary for ascertaining whether the legislation is being complied with and require the production of relevant records and information. The section also provides for offences of obstruction and non-compliance with requests from an inspector.

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