Joanna Tuffy (Labour)

I move amendment No. 2:

In page 4, to delete lines 13 to 16.

This amendment deletes the penalty on indictment of up to ten years' imprisonment or a €250,000 fine for an employer employing a non-national without a work permit. I agree with the Government move to make it illegal to employ a non-national without a work permit and to bring in a penalty, but this penalty is heavy-handed. The Government should put a proper green card system in place before introducing such heavy-handed penalties. These penalties are unfair because an employer could be caught by this provision, despite the fact that such an employer might not have set out to exploit a non-national.

We know from newspaper reports that those who are exploited have often been employed under the work permit system. Huge improvements need to be made to our immigration system. We need an overall framework which allows people in according to our labour market needs but which allows them to apply for different jobs rather than being indentured to one employer. There should not be restrictions on moving from one job to another. Other situations need to be improved, such as the length of time it takes to get a work permit and our treatment of illegal residents, because people would then not abuse the system out of need. It would be at that point that we could be heavy-handed in terms of the penalties involved.