Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)

I welcome the proposed Bill. I commend the consultation process that has taken place with the SIPTU, UNITE and MANDATE unions. That has given an opportunity to go through the technical details and the wording in fine detail. It has also provided an opportunity to provide written submissions for the relevant Dáil committees to have it further examined. My concern is that in making any amendments to the 1956 Industrial Relations Act to conform to the High Court judgment the amendment framed should not only be within the parameters of the judgment but in the unambiguous wording must also be compatible with the spirit and intent of the 1946 Act. In other words, the most vulnerable 200,000 workers in society must be protected from a small minority of employers who can and will exploit them. The amendment must be framed to ensure the 200,000 workers covered by employment regulation orders cannot have their entitlements detrimentally affected. It is imperative that we have further professional input from the union representative groups in order to ensure workers do not lose out on any benefits they currently receive.

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