Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The formulation of the Government's approach to the ending of zero-hour contracts will be very important. Clearly, across a wide range of sectors of our economy, especially in the retail, hospitality and caring sectors, we have seen what the Mandate trade union has called the gross exploitation of workers. In the next period in which the legislation is being drafted, it is critical the Minister of State is prepared to stand up to organisations such as IBEC which have spoken out against the imposing of what they call onerous restrictions. We would be counting on Ministers, including the Ministers of State, Deputies Halligan and Deputy Finian McGrath, to stiffen their resolve in that regard. The Citizens Information Board reported that 7% of its 1 million queries annually relate to employment and specifically to zero-hour and if-and-when contracts, which are contracts without any contractual obligations to give hours. I look forward to the legislation but I hope that the Government will move to act on this issue.

A debate on the gig economy in UK is taking place in the lead up to the general election there. It relates to what people are prepared to do about companies such as Uber in the gig economy. Is our Government thinking along the lines of the Labour Party in the UK in terms of taking drastic action to address the gross maltreatment of workers?

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