Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Obviously, we do not need legislation to know that the situation that the Deputy has described is not tolerable. If the letter has been sent to the Minister for Health, I am sure he will respond directly to the Deputy. The health information Bill is due for publication next year, but as I said, we do not need legislation to know that there should not be a situation like the one the Deputy described. The Minister with responsibility for the marine has responded initially on the report in The Guardianwhich took a year to put together. He intends to form a working group on Thursday to respond to the issue. It will involve a number of Departments. This situation applies to a number of other countries, particularly Scotland, where the human slavery Act 2015, which is very modern legislation, has dealt with the matter in a very comprehensive way for those involved. There may well be problems in some parts of the pelagic fleet. The Minister will respond to them in a very determined way and will announce the forming of a working group involving a number of Departments which have various responsibilities to deal with the issue of migrant workers. The Garda has a very active unit which deals with the trafficking of people. Obviously, it will have a central part to play if the allegations contained in the report in The Guardian are true.

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