Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 7 November 2017
60. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when the heads of the Bill regarding protection for persons on insecure low-hour contracts will be published; when the Bill will be introduced on Second Stage in Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46855/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt is the Government's stated intention to introduce the legislation referred to in the question before the Christmas break. I merely want to know if it is on target.
In May we approved the drafting of the Bill. We were responding to the commitment in the programme for Government to tackle the problem, but I am also well aware and acknowledge that there are Private Members' Bills to address the issue. The proposed legislation will deal with an area where current employment rights legislation needs to be strengthened without putting an unnecessarily onerous burden on the businesses that employ the people in question. The Bill is being drafted and I hope to be able to publish it in December. If there is not the usual rush here in the last couple of weeks in December, I might be lucky to have it started before Christmas. I say this while acknowledging we also have the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017 and will have the new Social Welfare Bill that will go to the Cabinet next. It is a "maybe", unless I hog the House with Deputies Willie O'Dea and John Brady for the next couple of weeks. If the Bill is not brought forward before Christmas, we will bring it forward straight after it.
As the Minister will be aware, my party supports such a measure which we had inserted into and enshrined in the confidence and supply agreement which is now 18 months old. We support it because of the increased casualisation of labour and the resulting insecurity. Naturally, we are concerned to progress it as quickly as possible. I, therefore, ask the Minister to make every effort possible to have it brought to the House, at least on Second Stage, before Christmas. However, I realise the constraints. I realise we must also deal with the Social Welfare Bill and take Committee Stage of the Social Welfare, Pensions and Civil Registration Bill 2017. However, I ask the Minister to do her very best to ensure the measure will be brought to the House before Christmas. There is just one question I want to ask the Minister about it. On the Oireachtas committee's report which outlines the difficulties with the Bill, the first recommendation was that the CSO engage with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, the Low Pay Commission and various employer and employee groups to develop statistical measures to better inform the debate on low pay. Has that process been started?
It has not and I will have to find out why. I do not know if there is a reason it has not commenced but it should. I will get instructions thereafter. I give the Deputy a commitment - I say this with tongue in cheek. I am responsible for the Social Welfare Bill and the one that has reached Committee Stage. The Deputy is aware that we are awaiting the amendments which, please God, I will have next week. I am also responsible for the total contributions public consultation process, the accident and emergency departments public consultation process and the report about which we have just spoken on the anomaly for pensioners who have been maligned by the changes made in 2012. I am well aware of the jobs I have to do and the responsibilities I have. I am privileged to have them and relish them. I would love to get this done before Christmas. If I can have the Bill drafted - that is the big part - I know that I will receive the co-operation of Members to either accept the Bill or make it better. Deputy Willie O'Dea has my commitment that if I can have the Bill brought here before Christmas, with his commitment, we will get the debate started.
I am aware of the Minister's enormous workload and know that she is well up for it. We have every confidence in her to bring the Bill before the House this side of Christmas. When does she envisage the Social Welfare Bill being published?
I hope to bring it to the Cabinet on Tuesday. If I do, it will be published immediately. The only reason for the delay is the other report. I did not want to publish a Bill and to then have to come back and say to the Deputy I had found a way. The Bill is practically ready. It will definitely be brought to the Cabinet on Tuesday next.
