Jimmy Harte (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber and Senator Quinn for introducing his Bill to the Seanad. It is a very practical Bill. The judge in this court proceeding wrote to the Ceann Comhairle in what may be the first act of its kind. He obviously felt so strongly about this injustice to Mr. Younis that he had no other course of action open to him. There was an anomaly in the system, demonstrating that people will be exploited where the possibility exists. I welcome Senator Byrne's comments about the function of the Seanad and I agree completely that the function we have is very important. In this case we can introduce a Bill that would have a practical use for people who could potentially be exploited.

It reminds me of Children of the Dead End, the book by Patrick MacGill detailing the Irish going to Scotland as being exploited from the age of 12 by unscrupulous employers. It is not exactly the same but approximately 100 years ago, many young Irish kids were used and abused by employers. That probably happened in other parts of the free world as well. We are now in a position where we can legislate to prevent this happening again in this country. I am sure everyone would agree that Mr. Younis was entitled to the ¤92,000 award but the legislation did not allow him to collect it. The judge made the correct decision in that respect and there is a chance today to address that issue, although not in monetary terms. For future cases, Mr. Younis has done the State some service. I have never met the gentleman but I am sure he has mixed feelings about the country he has worked in. The message from the Seanad is that there is 100% support from the Government and the Opposition. The case has been highlighted and we hope it will set a precedent for the future.

The Minister of State has indicated that the Minister, Deputy Bruton, will make this a priority in the new year. It is important that we debate the issue and get out the message that the future for international workers in this country is safe. This could be my sons or daughters in another country, and we expect other countries to treat people like they would their own population. It is important that as a nation used to emigration, we afford the people coming to this country the same rights we would expect in other countries today.

I ask the Minister of State to support the Bill and congratulate Senators Quinn and Barrett for bringing forward the Bill. I hope it makes the news for the right reasons and is highlighted in the media over the next few days. This Bill is important and the Senators have practically moved it along on their own. The issue may be buried in negative comments in the media but it deserves to be front-page news.