Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)

I move amendment No. 26:

In page 20, after line 24, to insert the following:

"26.—The employment agency and the employment to which the agency worker is assigned shall be jointly and severally liable for all breaches of this Act with the exceptions of the matters of facilities and amenities for which the employer who is end user shall be solely responsible.".

My colleagues and I wish to place this section at the end of the legislation, after section 25. It concerns complaints in respect of certain contraventions of the Act. It is to ensure the employment agency and the employment to which the agency worker is assigned are jointly and severally liable for all breaches of the Act. It will tighten this up because employers and the agency are well aware they must comply with this Act in regard to breaches, with the exception of matters of facilities and amenities for which the employer who is end user shall be solely responsible. We ask for discussion of this provision and for the Minister to take it on board.

See this speech in context