Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

I move amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 12:

In subsection (3)(a), to delete "both, or" and substitute "both".

I have no difficulty with the idea of legislating to prevent the employment of illegal persons, but the provision in this section is extreme. Many Irish people have worked illegally in other countries over the years. We need controls, but we also need balance and this section is not balanced. The penalty in subsection 3(b) is excessive and is anti-business in nature. The Minister said the Government intends to publish a Bill on employment permits. There should be a proper system for economic immigration into this country, involving the issuing of green cards. Until that is done, we should not be heavy-handed with employers.

Many people come here as economic migrants, which was the only reason Irish people went to other countries. We should have a fair system. The current system is not fair, it is restrictive and the issuing of work permits means that employees are indentured to one employer. We recently saw the case of the Brazilian workers who suffered extremely bad employment conditions. When they had to give up that work, they had to return to Brazil. They could not seek other jobs here without getting additional work permits. That system is too restrictive.

We need to allow asylum seekers to work after a reasonable period and we need to do more to help countries whose people have to emigrate for economic reasons. We need to do more about our overseas development aid, which we recently cut back substantially. All those things should be in place before we become heavy-handed in the manner being employed here.

Amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 12 seeks to allow for the fine, which will not exceed €3,000, and the 12 months' imprisonment because that is reasonable. However, subsection (b) is unreasonable and amendment No. 2 to amendment No. 12 seeks to eliminate it.