Mary O'Rourke (Fianna Fail)

I urge all Members to read this report. It is scarifying and awful that women and men with whom we are acquainted are employing people in that awful way. As a result of what such employers would discern as their employees' lower status, the latter are treated inhumanely. I heard recently of a woman who arrived at 10.30 p.m. on her first night in a job and was presented with a list of 27 items that her employer required to be completed by the following midday. The first item was an instruction to clean the dog, after which the employee was to mow the neighbour's lawn.

I cannot believe this type of situation is happening. We hear people blithely talking about their Filipino au pairs and one wonders if they are involved in this type of behaviour. The report is obligatory reading and we should have a debate on this issue in the House.