Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail)

The amendment was tabled by the Government because the motion is addressed to the Government.

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Government" and substitute the following:

notes

(1) the commitment of the Government to address, in a partnership context, concerns about the maintenance and protection of employment standards in the Irish labour market including, in particular:

avoiding any diminution of standards; developing a meaningful package in the area of enhanced employment standards addressing a range of issues including enforcement of employment rights and improvement of labour market standards;

focusing on the position of workers who have relocated to Ireland from abroad and who may be particularly vulnerable; securing an appropriate balance between employment protection and labour market flexibility;

(2) the record of this Government in introducing a comprehensive range of legislative and other measures which are aimed at and have significantly improved the terms and conditions available to workers in the Irish labour market, including:

health and safety; part-time and fixed-term workers; national minimum wage levels; substantial increases in redundancy entitlements and improvements for carers and parents; and

(3) the Government reaffirms its commitment to the social partnership model as the most appropriate mechanism for advancing these issues in the interest of both employees and employers.

The Minister of State must be pleased that the Labour Party put down this motion because since his appointment, he has addressed all of the issues involved in the motion. He can point out the positive contributions that he and his Department have made since his appointment.

Each year, millions of men and women leave their homes and cross national borders in search of greater human security for themselves and their families. Most are motivated to migrate by the quest for higher wages and better opportunities, but some are forced to do so because of famine, natural disasters, violent conflict or persecution. Historically, immigration has been economically beneficial to host countries as well as to the migrants themselves. Many of the fears surrounding the impact of immigration on developed economies are unfounded or exaggerated. For example, there is no evidence that immigration significantly reduces wages or pushes up unemployment. Immigration is one of the most important challenges currently facing Ireland and the other member states of the European Union. As a society, it is imperative that we deal with the issues posed by immigration in a positive, coherent and humane way.

Immigration is a relatively new phenomenon in Ireland. We have changed radically from the mid-1990s onwards from a country of emigration to a receiving country, a major achievement by the Fianna Fáil and Progressive Democrats Government. The experience of Irish emigrants in many different countries has often been one of discrimination and hardship. Deputy Rabbitte, leader of the Labour Party, is trying to exploit this issue for political purposes.