Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)

When introducing the Bill, the Minister said it represented an important step forward for agency workers by guaranteeing equal treatment in pay and basic working conditions with directly recruited workers. I welcome the Government amendment which ensures the costs of training, safety equipment and so on will not be passed on to workers.

I oppose amendment No. 1. Sinn Féin's view is that equal rights and conditions should be afforded to workers as soon as possible. If 5 December was the earliest date possible, we are in favour of it happening from that date.

The Bill includes a provision to exclude permanent agency workers from its protection. This undermines the spirit of the legislation and the words of the Minister. This issue was discussed on Committee Stage and it was the hope of the select committee that the Government would act on that discussion. This provision creates a loophole for employers to undermine the legislation. It will lead to agency workers continuing to receive unequal pay and conditions and drive down the recruitment of permanent workers.

The Government knows this is a loophole and refuses to act because it itself will benefit from it. I, among others, tabled a number of amendments to this provision which were ruled out of order because they would have placed a potential charge on the Exchequer. Will the Minister tell us how many permanent agency workers are employed in the public service and what is the cost to the public purse? Maintaining this loophole is a cynical act by the Government as it seeks to undermine workers' rights and drive down the wages of the low paid. The same driving down of wages approach is not found in the Civil Service or among Ministers.

I am shocked that Labour Party Deputies acquiesced on this important point. Where were they when this loophole was found?

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