John Ellis (Sligo-Leitrim, Fianna Fail)

When I first entered this House nobody would ever have dreamed of tabling a motion such as the one before us. At that stage, unemployment was at such levels that all we did was export our young people. I am delighted that in the course of the past 20 years the employment market has improved enormously. We probably have the highest minimum wage in the European Union, which is being protected by the Department. That is as it should be. The Minister has clearly stated the Department is in full control when it comes to ensuring all labour law is fully adhered to.

There have been attempts to breach labour laws in recent years but the Government has successfully prevented any circumvention of the minimum wage. I have no doubt that in future the Government will be even more vigilant than it has been over the past few years.

It is great to be able to say that we are as close to full employment as one can be. The country is almost at full employment. In addition, the economy is growing at a fast pace, which means we will probably need up to 50,000 migrant workers per year for the next four or five years. I have no doubt the Government will ensure the rights of such workers are protected. We must also ensure, however, that people working here are fully compliant with the relevant labour laws. In recent times, problems have arisen with people who are double jobbing. Some non-nationals are prepared to take on a second job in the black economy and work for less than the minimum wage. A certain amount of this activity is beginning to surface in parts of the country but it must be stopped. It has been brought to my notice once or twice in my constituency. When I brought the matter to the notice of the relevant Department, action was taken to bring to an end the situation whereby people were able to operate on both sides of the Border by either holding down two jobs or by paying tax on one side of the Border while drawing social welfare on the other. However, the wider problem will no doubt continue as long as the current state of affairs continues.

We must ensure that we protect the workers' right to receive fair pay for a fair day's work. The minimum wage has probably been the most important development for workers here. It is only fair that the minimum wage should set a minimum standard, but the number of people on the minimum wage is much lower than many people might expect. Recent Government moves to remove people who are on the minimum wage from the tax bracket are to be applauded given their effect on the general public and those who are on low pay.

However, the competitiveness of our workforce also needs to be considered. The only way we can remain competitive is by ensuring we have total agreement between unions, workers and employers. Social partnership has proved to be one of this country's greatest assets in promoting employment through the years.

We need to move on from the motion. Although Opposition parties have the right to put down such motions, the motion before us does not recognise the great progress this country has made both on employment and on labour inspectors. I agree we need to ensure that any mismanagement in the pay or conditions of employees that does not respect our regulations should immediately be brought to the notice of the Department with responsibility for labour. When I had to do that on a previous occasion, the Department was more than efficient in dealing with the problem. I believe the motion is unnecessary.

I compliment the Minister of State on the way in which he is helping to run the Department.

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