Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance)
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22. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the provisions she has made in her jobs plan to ensure jobs created are not subject to precarious hours, bogus self employment, low hours or low pay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6204/17]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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This Government's goal is to achieve sustainable full employment so that all of our people have the opportunity to enjoy rewarding work and to participate and contribute to their full potential to our economy and society.

As unemployment continues to fall we must also focus on the quality of employment, which is a key determinant of the well-being of individuals and households.

Since the first Action Plan for Jobs was launched in Q1 2012, almost 190,000 more people are at work. Employment continues to grow strongly.  The number of under-employed part-time workers has continued to decline, by 5.7% in the year to Q3 2016, which is the latest available data. 

Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment rights legislation which protects all workers, including those who work on a part-time or temporary basis.  We also have a more streamlined and accessible Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), which includes a well resourced and proactive Labour Inspectorate. Further, there are existing mechanisms in place to deal with the issue of bogus self employment.   

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to tackle the problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen regulation of precarious work. I intend to bring forward proposals  in this area for consideration by Government. My proposals will include protections aimed particularly at low-paid, more vulnerable workers. 

My Department is currently engaged in a dialogue process with ICTU and IBEC to secure broad agreement before proposals are finalised. This work is being progressed as expeditiously as possible and is nearing conclusion. I will bring our proposals to Government in Q1 2017.