Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I do not know how to respond. I want to say "Yes" to the Senator but I cannot do so yet because I have to check. This shows that one would clearly know I am not in charge. I cannot put a report into legislation. I cannot do it. This is primary legislation. I am not trying to be smart but I will not stand here and make a promise to the Senator that I am going to put something into the legislation next week. I cannot do that. To bring back what Senator Ruane expects me to be able to bring back next week as meaningful and prescriptive would actually take months. I want to be here next week so I cannot tell the Senator that I can come back with a detailed amendment. I also cannot just come back and state that I will stick a report in the legislation. Maybe my word is not good enough for the Senator. Other than giving her my word, all I can do is ask the WRC to look at the current statutory code of practice in respect of the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act. It is already in place but it has just not been tested. I do not know how I could ask the WRC to change that when it does not have a case to test it with or change it against. While the Senator suggests that I might not be here, I will be here for a while - we have Fianna Fáil's letter to keep us going until March so we will be grand - and I will give a commitment that I will write to the WRC to tell it of our conversation today and that I will be bringing a test case. Perhaps that will result in the WRC having a look at the statutory code of practice. I cannot, however, put that into legislation so the Senator will have to take my word for it. I hope that my word means something.