Vol. 518 No. 5
61 Proinsias De Rossa asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if it is still her intention to introduce and enact the legislation necessary to give effect to the EU Directive 97/81/EC regarding the rights of part-time workers; the special difficulties on which Government has based its application to the EU for a special derogation for a further year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11937/00]
In the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness, Framework 1.3(b)(6) the Government gave an undertaking that the Bill to implement the EU directive on part-time work will be introduced in the Oireachtas by June 2000. It is my intention that this deadline will be met and that the Bill will be enacted before the end of the year. I have informed the Commission formally through the permanent representation of Ireland to the European Union that this country proposes to avail itself of the provision in Article 2.1 of the directive in accordance with which "member states may have a maximum of one more year, if necessary, to take account of special difficulties". These difficulties arose during the negotiations which took place in the tripartite working group on the implementation of the directive and related, in particular, to the scope of the directive and whether non-contributory occupational pensions came within that scope. Difficulties also arose in agreeing a definition of "workers who work on a casual basis" who may be excluded from certain benefits on objective grounds.
