Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

-----there is a services directive, inter alia, as well as the Treaty of Rome. We had to get some guidance to ensure we were not in conflict with EU directives as regards the free movement of goods and services etc., so it took some time to get clarity on those issues. However, we believe a Bill is in place that is not in conflict with the EU, which at the same time will provide strong protections and prosecutorial powers to agencies where breaches of the legislation arise. We believe this Bill will ensure our legislation is not in conflict with the EU and will afford inherently strong protections and prosecutorial powers to agencies if there are breaches of the legislation.

I thank everyone involved, including the officials for their work in ensuring the Bill has reached Second Stage in the Dáil. I refer to some of the issues raised by individual Deputies. Deputy Penrose raised concerns with regard to REAs, registered employment agreements, and EROs, employment regulation orders and sought clarity on this issue. This Bill will not provide that clarity, but that will come from the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, which is in gestation and under consideration. We should keep the debate in context and factual. This is critically important. No Government seeks a race to the bottom in the area of wages. The Government introduced the National Minimum Wage Act 2000 to ensure we have one of the highest minimum wages in the world, currently at €8.65 per hour.

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