Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We are considering the proposals. It is important to ensure that employers have a degree of flexibility in the labour market, but not to the point where anyone is allowed to be exploited or abused by unscrupulous employers. We undertook this study because we were conscious of that. We wanted to get a handle on the nature and extent of low-hour contracts and the survey has made a useful contribution to that debate.

Ours is the first Government that has taken a keen interest in this matter and it is our view that we should be tackling some of the more egregious aspects of these practices in order to end abuse. We are considering a suite of proposals made by the University of Limerick, but the Government has not formed a view on how to progress them yet. I have views on that front, however, and I want to do everything that I can to ensure that the interests of low-paid workers and people in precarious work situations are protected and their circumstances are enhanced. All of the measures that I have taken on this matter since being appointed Minister of State with responsibility for business and employment have fed into that process and been successful.

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