Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this legislation, the purpose of which is to give effect to the new back-to-work family dividend. It must be remembered that family support in this country has been savaged over the past eight years. It took the Government a long time to wake up to the reality of the impact of this savaging on the poorest people and families in this country. While I welcome the provisions of this legislation, it does not address the issue of low paid employment. Low paid employment has a very damaging effect, not only on those in receipt of the low wages but on wider society and the economy. It is widening the gap between the wealthy and the poor in this country. Shamefully, we have the highest rate of low paid employment in Europe. If, as legislators, we cannot change this, we should not be here.

A proliferation of our workers are employed on a part-time basis by way of the detestable zero-hour contracts. These contracts continue to be utilised by employers for their benefit and against the best interests of workers and their families. More than 100 years ago James Larkin marched on the streets of Dublin against zero-hour contracts. As we approach the centenary of 1916 hundreds and thousands of our workers are on zero-hour contracts. It is an indictment of Government and of the trade union movement that this reprehensible practice is allowed to continue.

Instead of creating real employment with real wages for young people this Government established the bogus JobBridge scheme. What this has led to is free employment for unscrupulous employers. It is a form of slavery. Unscrupulous employers are taking advantage of this scheme, under which employees are being paid €50 on top of their social welfare entitlement on the basis of their being trained for something better. Participation in this scheme is not optional. People who refuse to participate lose their social welfare entitlement.

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