Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

This is an integral part of the EU. With regard to immigrants to this country, employers are obliged to comply with employment law. Every employee is entitled to a minimum wage. Where there are employment regulation orders, EROs, or registered employment agreements, REAs, the employer is obliged to pay the rate that is struck and lodged before the Labour Court. If there is exploitation, it is an offence under labour law. We have increased the number of labour inspectors and established the National Employment Rights Authority to ensure that workers, regardless of whether they are Irish or non-nationals, receive the going rates of the labour market as lodged before the Labour Court either in the REAs or EROs. We would be concerned if there was exploitation of any individual.

With regard to students, the Government would obviously be concerned if the primary purpose of students coming to this country was not to learn a language but to work. We are conscious of this issue and examining it very seriously.

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