Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Acting Chairperson. I would like to welcome Deputy Michael Ring and his guests, Seán and Martina.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to present the Employment Permits Bill for consideration by the Seanad today. I thank my predecessors, the Minister of State, Deputy Neale Richmond, and Deputy Damien English, for their work on this important legislation.

The purpose of this Bill is to consolidate and update the existing employment permits law. It contains a number of key improvements, including the change of employer option, the introduction of a new seasonal employment permit and the facilitation of a more agile employment permits system through the movement of operational details from primary to secondary legislation for easier modification, as labour market needs require.

Amendment No. 1 provides a new definition for non-consultant hospital doctors who are eligible for the two-year multi-site general employment permit. My officials have actively engaged with officials in the Department of Health to ensure the proposed definition, and the associated provisions, result in a more efficient procedure for these critically important workers. There has been a considerable amount of interaction with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel to ensure that provisions be fully operational, and appropriate, to the needs of the health service. The new definition underpins the provisions contained in the proposed new sections of the Bill as set out in Chapter 5, grant of an employment permit, and section 31, employment of non-consultant hospital doctors.

Amendment No. 2 deletes the definition of "public health facility". That is necessary because we need to insert "a person" instead of "public health facility" as the term to describe the employer hospital under the employment arrangements for these doctors, which is provided under section 31.This will ensure that all non-consultant hospital doctors employed in the State will have the same beneficial conditions applied to their employment permits irrespective of whether they are employed in the public system, HSE, section 38 hospitals, agencies, private hospitals or bodies under section 39 of the Health Act 2004.

Amendments Nos. 17 to 26, inclusive, are related to non-consultant hospital doctors. These amendments all relate to section 31 concerning the employment of non-consultant hospital doctors. Again, it inserts the word "person" in place of "public health facility" as the term used to describe the employer hospital under these employment arrangements.

Amendments Nos. 35 to 37, inclusive, relate to non-consultant hospital doctors. They are technical amendments to section 43(7) on the termination of employment to ensure consistency with the amendments referred to in the previous amendments, which substitute the word "person" for "public health facility" to clarify the employer entities to be covered under the non-consultant hospital doctor permit provision.