Amendment No. 9 also adjusts section 8. It is again on the non-application of section 7 to certain foreign nationals by amending subsection (1)(f) to ensure that family members of officials of international organisations, assigned to work in the State under the Diplomatic Relations and Immunities Act are exempt from the requirements of the employment permits legislation. This amendment ensures that these family members are considered similar to the family members of diplomats assigned here from other countries. In …

This is a technical amendment to adjust the meaning of section 8 (2).

I thank the Senator. I understand that this issue was raised on Report Stage in the Dáil. Officials have noted that the intention of the amendment, which is to insert the contact details of both ICTU and the WRC on the permit, is already provided for in the regulation-making powers of the Bill and, therefore, the amendment would duplicate the role of regulation-making powers available under section 21(2)(g). The Minister already has the power to carry out this action through regulations and can specify the informat…

I appreciate where the Senator is coming from but our legal advice is that this is not a matter for primary legislation. I am happy to engage with him, outside of the legislative process, to see how we can make this happen at a practical level. This is not a matter for legislation so I will not accept the amendment.

If the Senator sends me details of that particular case, I will look into it for him. On the issue raised by Senator Dooley, as he said, this can be dealt with by regulation. It is something that we can examine for him. We want to make sure we have an efficient and fair system but, ultimately, this always comes down to the guardrails, and the guardrails are that 50:50 rule, which is that there is always a preference for domestic and EEA workers. That is always going to be central to our policy. With regard to permi…

The Senator is correct that many companies, including those in his constituency, are struggling to find employees at the moment. That is why it is so important that we make sure we have a system that is fair, quick and easily accessible to both employers and people seeking work. Thankfully, we have a very good situation in Ireland where, at the moment, we have almost full employment. The Senator is also correct that this is not something the Government can take for granted. Ultimately, it is only down to prudent ma…

It absolutely can be done through regulation, although we have not decided whether it will be. I am happy to take further correspondence on that.

I will open by giving my absolute assurance that we are genuine about wanting to protect vulnerable workers. The amendment the Senator tabled would add a new provision to the Bill that would effectively blacklist employers convicted of a wide range of employment rights breaches. This would represent a major change to the labour market enforcement system as it applies to the third country nationals employed under an employment permit. While I fully appreciate the sentiment underpinning it, I will be refusing this am…

The amendments in this group are technical amendments, including textual changes and changes to cross-referencing.

I thank the Senator for this amendment. I fully agree with his intentions here, and this amendment aligns with Government position with regard to changing employer through a parallel process that is not a new employment permit application. The amendment requires a 12-month period for which a permit holder will be linked to an employer and we have actually gone further than that in this legislation. This legislation provides for the employee to be able to change employer within a prescribed period, and our intention…

The Government is committed to ensuring we make patents easier to obtain in this country. As the Deputy will be aware, the Taoiseach has indicated we do not intend to have any referendums between now and the general election but this is something we will continue to work on and progress in the meantime.

No.

Go raibh maith agat. I thank Deputy Tully for raising this issue for discussion in the House. She has been an advocate for people with disabilities and those working with them, which I really appreciate. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge the essential role section 39 community and voluntary organisations play. Their staff provide excellent health and social care services and supports to so many throughout the country. The Govern…

I thank the Deputy again for raising this important issue. I fully appreciate what she has said about the recruitment and retention of staff. Staff in this area are vital because they provide the necessary resources and support that people like Kaitlin and her family need, and that is why the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth is committed to sustainable service delivery for the benefit of those who rely on essential services and the workers who are committed to providing a service …

I thank the Leas Cathaoirleach for his kind remarks. I am pleased to have the opportunity to present this Bill for the consideration of the House following its recent successful passage through the Dáil, led by my predecessor, the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond. The Bill will further enhance the protection of employees in a collective redundancy in a way that does not unduly impede enterprise in the conduct of its business. First, I will provide some background to the Bill and put it in some context. It is bein…

I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I welcome the south Tipperary carers, who are still with us in the Gallery, and Denis and Josephine Higgins from Monaghan, who are also with us here today. I thank the Regional Group for tabling this Private Members' motion and for highlighting the fantastic work carers do throughout the country. As the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, said in her opening statement, the Government is acutely aware of the valuable work being carried out by family carers and this is evidenced by …

I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and everyone in this Chamber for their kind words of congratulations but also of welcome to Seanad Éireann. Most importantly, I thank them for their collaboration with this Bill because it is very important. Senator Seery Kearney brings many skills and expertise in this exact field to the Chamber and I very much appreciate her input and contribution as we continue to shape this legislation. She had two specific asks, which I will deal with in a moment. Senator Crowe eloquently explai…

I thank the Deputy for her kind remarks and I look forward to working with her. The purpose of the general scheme of the employment (restriction of certain mandatory retirement ages) Bill 2024 is to implement a key recommendation related to mandatory retirement age, which is included in the Pensions Commission recommendations and implementation plan. As recommended by the Pensions Commission, this proposed legislation will deliver a statutory provision which will allow, but in no way compel, an employee to stay in …

As the Deputy may be aware, it is not possible for the State to provide that a retirement age below 66 in all circumstances will be illegal. The reality is that certain roles may require a lower retirement age, often for the health and safety of the workers in question. That is especially so where people have very physically demanding jobs, for example. It is also critical for public-safety-critical roles, and that is a matter of contract between employers and employees. The Pensions Commission recognises that and …

The Deputy and I agree that when it comes to certain occupations, it may not be appropriate to have indefinite periods of working life and that is what this legislation provides for. There are complexities where there are existing contracts between employers and employees, particularly in the private sector, that specify a mandatory retirement age. What we are doing here is making changes in that regard. Regarding engagement, my officials met IBEC, ICTU and SIPTU representatives to discuss this last October and aga…