Gerard Craughwell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

The one thing I can tell the House is that I contacted the Minister's office about a particular case and it acted swiftly on it so I know she has a genuine concern where there is bogus self-employment and I know that the Department will act as quickly as it can when it is made aware of it. Senator Nash's Bill deserves the opportunity to pass through the system. If this is the only impediment, surely we can bring forward an amendment on Report Stage that will see this Bill go through the House. In the case to which I am referring, the workers were too petrified out of their lives to say a word but a relative of one of them contacted me and told me what was going on. I passed the case on to the Department, which moved swiftly. Workers caught in this position are suddenly told some weeks after they start work "oh by the way, you're self-employed and do remember you're going to have to pay tax and PRSI for yourself." Somebody can be at the bottom scale, for example, a builder's labourer. How can 25 builder's labourers be self-employed? It is just not possible.

We cannot allow a situation where we wait for Deputy O'Dea's Bill, the Department's Bill or another Bill at some other time. We have a perfectly good Bill here and can make the changes the Minister needs. It is open to her to bring forward changes. Let us keep this Bill alive. Let us not kill it at this point. I plead with the Minister not to do this but to think of the people she serves.