Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is clearly a significant additional burden, which will apply to every employer even if all the employees are full time and there are no rosters. It applies to every business, from the corner shop to the largest multinational.

A further flaw in the Bill is that the six months reference period is too short. What about seasonal work patterns? Someone working in the summer peak from March to September will have a right to more hours than he or she worked over the summer unless the employer is in severe financial difficulties.

There were 48 submissions received in response to the public consultation on the University of Limerick, UL, study. They reflect a broad range of views. I intend to bring forward proposals informed by the responses to the public consultation. These proposals will provide a balanced and more workable solution to the recommendations made in the UL study. My proposals will address the issues of insecure, low-hours work in a more comprehensive manner than the approach taken in this narrowly focussed Bill.

The proposals will address the concerns expressed in the UL study and in the public consultation about the need to improve the predictability of working hours. They will be focussed on workers on insecure, low-hour contracts and aimed particularly at low paid, vulnerable workers. My proposals will be in stark contrast to this Private Member's Bill which is deeply flawed and inappropriate. It has not been thought through. There is a real danger that jobs will be lost and competitiveness damaged if this Bill is passed. It is for this reason that I will support proper scrutiny of the proposals in this Bill by the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in advance of its passing Second Stage. The Bill appears to be totally inflexible, to impose wholly unreasonable burdens on employers, particularly small businesses. It would greatly benefit from the inputs of social partners and other representative groups. The practical implications and unintended consequences need to be considered. It should take account of the needs of different sectors.

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