Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased the Deputy raised the issue of zero-hour contracts. As he acknowledged, I have been doing work in that area because I am concerned that the recovery we are experiencing should not be characterised by a race to the bottom. We have engaged the University of Limerick to carry out a major study into the prevalence and extent of zero-hour contracts and low-hour contracts in this country. It is timely that we do so. I expect to have that report within a matter of months. I have made it very clear in this House that if it is the case that legislation or regulation is required to address some of the more egregious aspects of those practices then the Government is committed to doing so. We are committed to ensuring that work pays and that we deliver on our dignity of work and dignity at work agenda. It would be remiss of me not to signal my intention to bring forward collective bargaining legislation to the floor of this House very shortly. We wish to enact the legislation by this summer. The collective bargaining legislation can assist in avoiding some of the issues we are experiencing now. If we had that type of legislation in place it certainly could inform the conduct of negotiations and provide a way in which we could address some of the issues that have emerged in the context of this particular dispute.

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