Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I wish to second the proposal that the Bill be now read a second time. In November 2002, the European Parliament issued a directive on the treatment of temporary workers. It mainly concerned ensuring fair rates of pay to temporary workers, who are growing in number and are often exploited by unscrupulous employers. Ireland and Britain were the main opponents of this directive. In opposing it they ensured that temporary workers did not benefit from such protections, including fair rates of pay. The Government's inaction is used by some employers — although not many — as a means of making excess profits on the backs of temporary workers. This form of cheap labour is unacceptable and it is time for this model to change. It beggars belief that our Government would fail to represent the interests of our workforce in Europe.

An agency worker in Ireland runs a real risk of being denied sick pay, maternity pay, holiday pay, other types of family pay, personal leave and overtime. The Taoiseach said he will introduce two distinct Bills to deal with the problem. The employment law compliance Bill will issue licences to agencies, to try to regulate the way they act, and to institute a code of practice. The second Bill referred to by the Taoiseach will empower labour inspectors. If the first Bill does not have much teeth and is simply a licensing body, and if the second Bill does not increase the number of labour inspectors — I understand there are 17 inspectors at present — then neither Bill will lead to any change to the status quo. Very little will change.

When can we expect to see these Bills? We have all learned this Government's trick — it promises to deliver legislation, while many such Bills do not see the light of day. The Government appears to be proactive in talking about introducing Bills but it does not happen. Senator Callely is smiling but there has been a dearth of legislation in this session.