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

I thank the Senator. This amendment would require a report to be laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas within 12 months of the passing of the Bill, reviewing the conditions and wages of workers holding a seasonal employment permit. As I noted on Committee Stage, while I appreciate and understand the concerns of Senators, I will not be accepting this amendment. I will outline the reasons. We are planning to ensure the rights of seasonal employment permit holders are upheld. That is the thrust of what the Senator has said here today. There is full commitment around that. My Department plans to introduce a rights-based pilot scheme in 2025 which will be designed with the aim of ensuring stringent protection for seasonal migrant workers. The pilot scheme will initially only be made available to the horticultural sector and will be restricted to a small number of employers and workers, so it can be thoroughly assessed afterwards. As I previously indicated, additional resources have been provided to the Workplace Relations Commission for the purposes of inspections relating to seasonal employment permits. The findings of any such inspections as well as the outcome of the broader assessment of the pilot will provide my Department with the necessary information to assess the scheme, particularly in relation to the protection of rights for seasonal employment permit holders. The Senator outlined three big factors in terms of employee voice, equality of opportunity and security and stabilisation of workers. They are things we can also look at in the interests of openness and transparency. For that reason, I fully intend that the outcome of this evaluation will be published and made available on my Department's website.