Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2017
686. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of if-and-when contracts in the labour market as defined by the UL study into low-hours contracts; and the number of zero-hour contracts, as defined under the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, in operation. [53692/17]
View answerThe University of Limerick (UL), in their study on zero hour contracts and low hour contracts, were not able to quantify the numbers of people on zero hour contracts or “if and when” contracts. However, based on their stakeholder interviews, UL found that zero hour contracts within the meaning of Section 18 of the Organisation of Working Time Act 1997 are not extensively used in Ireland. Through the stakeholder interviews, UL also found evidence of “if and when” contracts and variations of such contracts, e.g. some contracts where all hours are on an “if and when” basis, while other hybrid contracts provide a minimum number of guaranteed hours with any additional hours provided on an “if and when” basis. However, UL could not quantify the numbers of people employed on such contracts from existing data sources. UL found that “if and when” arrangements are likely to be found where working hours are unpredictable and variable.
The Deputy will be aware that the Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2017was published on 7th December. The Bill delivers on the commitment in the Programme for a Partnership Government to tackle the problems caused by the increased casualisation of work and to strengthen the regulation of precarious work. The key objective of the Bill is to improve the security and predictability of working hours for employees on insecure contracts and those working variable hours.
I hope that the Bill will be taken at Second Stage at an early date in the New Year.
