John Cregan (Limerick West, Fianna Fail)

Like previous speakers, I am glad to have an opportunity to speak on such an important issue and to commend the Government for its efforts over many years now to uphold and enhance workers' rights by way of legislation and regulation.

We have continued to improve compliance among the minority of employers who knowingly fail to fulfil their statutory obligations to their workers. Only a small minority of employers are cowboys who would break the law continually but, in light of recent media reports on worker exploitation, more must be done to ensure that we offer the best possible protection to all workers. We need more stringent enforcement.

Regarding the Government's record in upholding the rights of workers, I particularly welcome the introduction of statutory rates of pay, such as the minimum wage, the introduction of limitations on the number of hours employees can work, the implementation of health and safety provisions, the establishment of statutory redundancy pay and the substantial improvements that have been made in carers', maternity and adoptive leave. This Government has introduced a comprehensive range of legislative and other measures aimed at significantly improving the terms and conditions available to workers in the Irish labour market, including measures on health and safety, part-time and fixed-term workers and national minimum wage levels as well as substantial increases in redundancy entitlements and improvements for carers and parents. However, the Government must continue to take measures to improve compliance so that the minority of employers who fail to fulfil their statutory obligations to their workers are flushed out and penalised.

Having mentioned leave for carers, I remind the House that the Carer's Leave Act 2001 came into operation on 2 July 2001. The Act's main purpose is to provide employees with an entitlement to avail themselves of up to 65 weeks of unpaid leave if they need to offer personal care to someone who requires full-time care and attention.

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