Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The overnight closure of Grafton College English language school, just three weeks before Christmas, comes as a terrible shock to hundreds of students and 25 workers, several of whom have been affected by a closure of this type not for the first or second time but for the third. It brings into focus the question of precarious work in the sector, which is worth in excess of €1.5 billion to the economy.

I visited the lunchtime rally today organised by the teachers and their union, Unite. These teachers are determined that their sector will become organised and unionised in order that employers such as this one cannot walk all over their rights. However, they also want to see legislative change. The Qualifications and Quality assurance (Education and Training) (Amendment) Bill 2018 before the Seanad provides for an international education mark. Will the Government support the amendment, which also calls for a fair employment mark to cut out unethical and even illegal activities on the part of employers in this sector, bogus self-employment, zero-hour contracts and so on? Will it also support the amendment not just for a learner protection fund but also for a teacher protection fund and ensure-----

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