Fintan Warfield (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I accept that the numbers are the same but if one was in band B originally, which is from six hours or more to less than 11 hours, the achievement of the bands as they are currently drafted is that they are quite narrow and they provide workers with certainty of hours within whichever band they are given.

The proposed change to section 16 seeks to remove the wording "or more" and "less than" and there is a possible consequence of such an amendment. Could, for example, a worker who was given an 11-hour contract be pushed into either the six-hour to 11-hour band rather than the 11 to 16-hour band? Could the Minister comment on whether the amendment would broaden the bands so that workers are opened up to two bands at a time? That would only apply to the hours in the "To" column. I am unclear at present as to whether the amendment would change the position and potentially open up a loophole for unscrupulous employers to exploit.