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

My question relates specifically to the haulage and construction sectors. At yesterday's committee meeting, we heard from representatives of the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs, who talked about the need to improve the numbers working in the haulage industry. I know the Minister of State is closely watching the situation at An Post, which, I have been informed, recently lost a very large contract for Amazon deliveries. I understand Amazon is saying it is going to do its own deliveries, but checking websites shows there are jobs available that I would put under the heading of bogus self-employment. They certainly do not amount to employment in the strictest sense of the word, although, on my reading of it, people will be treated like employees. We need a laser-like focus on this issue. There is a crisis in the haulage industry at the moment, as the Minister of State is well aware. We have a situation whereby these large companies are coming in and apparently setting the rules. Some of these jobs are advertised on indeed.com.

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