Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

Any abuse of domestic workers is unacceptable and deserves to be condemned on all sides of the House. My Department no longer generally issues work permits for domestic workers, including carers or minders and nannies, except in exceptional and limited circumstances where the Department may have an assurance that workers have supports in place. As I outlined in my initial reply, the bottom line is that there are significant legal issues in terms of the enforcement powers that labour inspectors would normally have when engaged in compliance checking on entry to the employer's premises and on sight of documentation and so on. However, where the place of work is a domestic dwelling, the position is different. For example, the provisions of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Articles 40 and 43 of the Constitution come into play and place considerable restrictions on the power of an inspector to enter the said premises.

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