Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy O'Connor. I am more than willing to work with the Deputy on this, knowing his knowledge, interest and past experience in the area. I assure him that we will look to best practice in other countries. I hope the establishment of our new Department provides an opportunity to bring a new focus and energy to these issues in a way that may not have been humanly possible when they were part of the broader remit of the Department of Education and Skills.

The Deputy's implied point about precarious employment is a very valid one. We are beginning to see the impact of that in several areas. I refer particularly to the issue of harassment, which has been discussed in recent days. I have heard that precarious employment often leaves people feeling very vulnerable in certain scenarios. That is not good enough. I will certainly look at the issues the Deputy refers to concerning the treatment of PhD students and how they can be protected and offered a degree of security and certainty.

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