Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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251. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will report to Dáil Éireann on the steps he will take in respect of so-called if-and-when contracts to further protect workers on zero-hour contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40712/15]

Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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I am pleased to inform the Deputy that, following Government approval, I have published the University of Limerick’s study on the prevalence of zero hours contracts among employers in Ireland, and launched a public consultation process to give all interested parties an opportunity to consider and respond to the study.

The consultation process commenced on 9^thNovember and will run over an eight week period to 4^thJanuary 2016. My Department has published on its website a Consultation Document designed to assist interested parties in making a written submission in response to the study. In addition to seeking written submissions from all interested parties, I have arranged to meet with employer representative bodies and worker representative bodies and non-Governmental organisations to hear their views first hand.

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.