Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This Bill is required to bring legal clarity to the situation of au pair exchanges in Ireland. As has been stated here today, in March 2016, the Workplace Relations Commission made a ruling on au pair payments which, in my opinion, undermines the tradition of au pair arrangements in Ireland. Rather than being considered as an educational or cultural exchange, the WRC ruled that the host-au pair relationship is the same as that of an employer and employee. This means that host families must pay au pairs the statutory minimum wage, pay employer PRSI contributions, and maintain a detailed record of hours worked and duties undertaken.

That food and lodgings are supplied in most cases is not taken into consideration. The Minister of State said that he could not support the Bill because "to attempt to address this issue by dependence on unqualified and poorly remunerated overseas labour working for board, lodging and pocket money certainly is not the way forward". The Minister of State went on to say that the current amount for board and lodgings was €54.13 a week. I welcome that he said it would have to be looked at. I have put a son through five years in UCC and I certainly could not find board and lodgings for €54.13 for a week. I have a daughter who has just completed a year in Mary Immaculate College and she had to pay closer to €180 a week.

The Bill defines an au pair placement in line with its traditional definition and I think that has been lost in translation here today. The traditional definition is as a cultural, learning and educational exchange rather than as an employee-employer relationship. It adopts a definition of au pairs which is standard in other EU countries. It also attempts to crack down on less regulated elements of the au pair sector.

The Minister of State also referred to the seven hours a week - or is that 49 hours. Section 2(c) clearly states that this must "involve no more than 30 hours per week, or 7 hours per day".

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