Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have not seen the amendment but I have spoken to the Senator and I will disagree with what he is attempting to do. The Senator Nash wants us to ban if-and-when contracts but there are so many industries in this country, government being one of them, that simply could not live without such contracts. I do not want to make life difficult for industry in carrying on its normal business but we will not tolerate a situation where people who are working on if-and-when contracts do not have the same employment protections as everybody else. I am prepared to move a bit this way if Labour Party Members are prepared to move a bit that way. I cannot countenance banning them even if all the Deputies and Senators gang up on me because there would be a significant backlash but perhaps we can try to achieve the same thing, which is to provide protections in law for the people who are currently working in those circumstances. We might have a win-win situation.

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