Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 October 2004
29 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on whether the State should make clear its commitment to the prevention of exploitation of migrant workers by ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Migrant Workers and their Families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23604/04]
View answerThe State is committed to the prevention of exploitation of migrant workers through its legislation and work practices. All workers in Ireland have the full protection of Irish employment law which reflects the wider EU social protection framework. The law does not discriminate between workers either on nationality or other grounds.
Ireland has not yet signed and is not a party to the International Convention on the Protection and of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of their Families which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1990.
The convention on the rights of migrant workers has been examined by my Department. It would appear that in order for Ireland to ratify the convention significant changes would have to be made across a wide range of existing legislation, including legislation addressing authorisation to stay and to work, education/training and integration, family reunification, social security, transfer of income and taxation, housing, health and medical care and electoral law. These changes would also have implications for our relations with our EU partners, none of whom have signed or ratified the convention — or signalled an intention to do so — and possibly for the operation of the common travel area between Ireland and the UK. There are no plans at present to introduce the changes in the areas above which would be necessary before Ireland could ratify or consider signing the convention.
