Michael Ahern (Cork East, Fianna Fail)

Section 10(1) of the Bill, as drafted, provides that where a fixed-term employee has entered his or her fourth year of continuous employment, the contract may be renewed only once before it automatically becomes permanent. The Government's amendment to section 10(3) provides that the First Schedule to the Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Act 1973, relating to continuous employment, will determine whether the service referred to in section 10(1) is continuous. This is a standard provision in employment rights legislation.

Amendment agreed to.

Section 10, as amended, agreed to.

Sections 11 to 14, inclusive, agreed to.

SECTION 15.

Government amendment No. 12:

In page 12, subsection (3), lines 36 to 38, to delete "end of 6 months beginning on the date of the last contravention to which the complaint relates." and substitute "expiration of the period of 6 months beginning on the date of the contravention to which the complaint relates or the date of termination of the contract of employment concerned, whichever is the earlier.".