Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

This amendment was passed on Committee Stage. Since then there has undoubtedly been lobbying. I have been approached by both sides too. I have been approached by unions, people representing IBEC and a number of employers, mainly small employers, in my constituency, who have serious reservations about this. I will not be told what to do by anybody - I make up my own mind - but I listen to everybody's arguments. I am very approachable and accessible.

I am fully aware of the EU directive on part-time employment. It provides that, insofar as possible, when vacancies occur in part-time hours they should be offered to people who are currently doing part-time work. That is the strong recommendation. It mentions as far as possible, and some things are possible and some are impossible. I do not know how widespread this is or the number of employers involved but I am aware that some employers employing part-time workers are inclined, if hours become vacant and if there are part-time workers who are well established, are of long standing and have reached a certain level of wages, to bypass those workers and offer the part-time hours to other people to keep costs down. When one does that one is depriving people who are already in precarious employment of the opportunity of getting more hours and introducing a new category of precarious workers. That is not a desirable situation.

Having read the section again, I am uncomfortable with how it is drafted. I support the principle of additional work that becomes available being offered to existing part-time employees. I have no problem, for example, with a company that employs a particular type of worker, say, a machinist, on a part-time basis being offered additional hours that become available. In fact, I would be strongly supportive of additional hours being offered to existing employees to bring them closer to being full-time workers. I have no problem in principle with that proposal.

The section, as drafted, which I did not object to on Committee Stage-----

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