Mary White (Fianna Fail)

What Senators Feargal Quinn, Jim Walsh and Mary Ann O'Brien have said is very important. We often hear about the complications of starting up a business. It is all about creating employment, yet bureaucracy adds further regulations. There is no logic to the proposal that this legislation be backdated. Agency workers are used as cover for staff who are on leave of absence, maternity, parental and sick leave. The dramatic increase in costs will be completely unsustainable, especially when the agency fee is factored into the equation. The problem is that there are not that many business people here because any business person knows the cost of hiring an agency worker is normally much higher than in taking on a permanent worker. This is a prime example of regulations being introduced that will prevent people from starting up a business.