Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am not sure what I will be allowed to speak about on Report Stage because some of my amendments have been ruled out of order but I do not understand why.

We are talking about improving the system to provide a cleaner operation for workers to access the system so that their complaints can be dealt with efficiently and for the employer to deal more efficiently with a complaint coming his way. The Minister of State will have to forgive me for feeling that, in the lifetime of this Government, more rules, regulations and legislation have been introduced that facilitate big business rather than the employee and the employee is in a poorer position today than he was three and a half years ago. I was present for the beginning of the Committee Stage debate on this Bill when Deputy Tóibín of Sinn Féin complained that Rhatigan workers received only €5 an hour and he filibustered in order to draw attention to this. Those workers have been on strike and picketing for a long time. The system for dealing with their complaint is very slow. If it was the other way around, the system would deal with the problem more quickly. We have passed legislation here through the night to facilitate large institutions but the workers picketing are waiting months for a resolution.

Section 36 of the Bill deals with a fine for employers found guilty of paying less than the minimum wage, but €2,000 will not frighten many employers. This section should be changed so that the penalty for employers who have the audacity to pay workers less than the minimum wage is greater. It is outrageous that they would try it, get away with it and then be fined only €2,000. It makes a mockery of the structure. Under the same section, it seems the employer is not allowed to appeal the fine, unless I am reading it wrong. He should be allowed to appeal it because he is entitled to his rights too. The State needs to take much more seriously the potential for employers to pay less than the minimum wage and the fines must be much greater for each individual case where they do that.

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