Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Is it suggested that every time notification does not happen, there has to be a meeting of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment? That is not sustainable or fair, particularly to the workers in the fishing industry who are dependent on these arrangements. We are talking about breaches ranging from a failure to grant annual leave or a public holiday entitlement right up to unauthorised deductions from wages. What really worry me are the contraventions of the working time regulations. We have heard the stories in this regard.

The vast majority of employers in the sector are trying to do the right thing. They are the ones who want to ensure rigorous inspections. They do not fear an inspection; they welcome it, but they want a level playing field.

Is it the intention to include the mechanism I describe in a revised memorandum of understanding or to put it on a more sustainable footing? The Department of Justice was not being informed. We raised this on 20 October and now the WRC is informing the Department, but we cannot keep checking on it. It should be par for the course; it should be part of the memorandum.

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