Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

The reality is that the State mechanisms for checking employer compliance with the various REAs and so on are inadequate. The agencies in question simply do not have the resources that are needed. That fact is underlined by the finding in successive NERA reports that there is widespread non-compliance. If the mechanisms were working properly, employers would know they are likely to be caught and would not so blatantly breach their responsibilities under the law. Despite this evidence of non-compliance, however, there is no proposal from the Government to increase the funding and resourcing of NERA, the labour inspectorate or any other body charged with monitoring compliance.

These amendments propose that we authorise other persons, including designated union officials, to carry out inspections and monitoring. Trade unions, as organisations of workers designed to protect workers' rights, have a vested interest in assisting the State in ensuring the law is adhered to in respect of the upholding of those rights. The Government's response, however, is, "No, it is not their job to do so". The Government has no intention of allowing anybody else to do it, which leaves us with the prospect of continued widespread non-compliance, situations arising like that at the Kishoge site in Lucan and the use of bogus subcontractors right across the construction sector. Abuse of workers' rights is widespread but the State does not have the resources in place to deal with it and there is no intention to provide those resources. By rejecting these amendments, the Government is refusing an opportunity to afford trade unions the facility to deal with these matters on their members' behalf.

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