Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Section 16 sets out a comprehensive and a challenging set of factors that the Labour Court has to take into account when making a recommendation to the Minister in respect of a sectoral employment order. Amendment No. 5 would add two further factors that the court would be required to take into account. I have given significant consideration to these criteria with Government colleagues. I do not consider it necessary to refer specifically to median earnings changes or proportions above or below particular proportions of median earnings, particularly when one of the criteria specifically requires the court to look at the general level of remuneration in other sectors where similar workers are employed. The Bill also requires the court, in making a recommendation, to be of the view that the recommendation is reasonably necessary to ensure fair and sustainable rates of remuneration in the sector concerned. I believe that the structure we are setting up in this legislation will do exactly that and has been welcomed by all sides of industry.

The suggestion in regard to the pervasiveness of part-time and short hour contracts is part of a wider decent work agenda that I am pursuing, including the issue of zero hour, low hour contracts. The Senator will be aware of the study I commissioned that is being undertaken by the University of Limerick. I expect that study will be completed soon. I look forward to considering its findings and sharing them with Oireachtas and Government colleagues. Where the evidence points to some adjustment being required to the protections that are already in place in Irish employment law, these will be brought forward for consideration by the Government. Therefore, I cannot accept the amendment.