Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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32. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the progress in dealing with the widespread problem of low pay and zero hour contracts; the specific measures he is proposing to deal with this phenomenon; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37998/15]

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, yesterday afternoon, following a decision by Government, I published the study by the University of Limerick (UL) on the prevalence of zero hour contracts and low hour contracts in the Irish economy. I also launched a public consultation process to give all interested parties an opportunity to consider and respond to the conclusions being drawn in the report and the recommendations being made by UL.

The University of Limerick conducted stakeholder interviews with 30 bodies as part of the study, including 13 employer/business organisations, 8 trade unions, 4 NGOs and 5 Government Departments/agencies.

It is important to point out that this is an independent study and the conclusions being drawn and the recommendations being made in the study are those of the University of Limerick. Therefore, it is essential that the various stakeholders who contributed to the study and indeed other interested parties who may not have had an opportunity to engage with the University of Limerick, are given an opportunity to consider and respond to the findings and recommendations in the UL report. This will allow me to be more fully informed before formulating my own views on the policy recommendations that I should bring to Government arising from the study.

I would urge all interested parties to consider carefully the findings and recommendations of this study and would welcome submissions in response to the study.