Can I explain? The HSA works with employers and employees. That information is dealt with on a confidential basis.

I do not have access to it and Deputy Stanley does not have access to it. Anyway, the matters are resolved and if necessary they are brought-----

I do not need to know.

What I can tell Deputy Stanley, if he cares to listen and if he would like to listen-----

I am sorry, Chair.

In the period from 1 March 2020 to Friday 15 May 2020 the Health and Safety Authority work contact unit received 3,188 requests for information and 547 complaints. Of these, 53% or 288 complaints related to Covid-19. There were 240 inspections carried out since last Monday, and meat plants were included.

Is the Deputy listening to me?

I do not have the number he is seeking. I do not need to know it.

I thank the Deputy. This protocol concerns employers and employees working together. It has been developed on the basis of collaboration between, among others, the unions, employers, IBEC and ICTU. We have all worked together, as have the HSA, the HSE and the officials in all the different Departments. This protocol has been a collaborative effort and I expect the same will apply in the workplace. There are many employers who shut down their premises early to protect their employees, and I have no doubt that they w…

I thank the Deputy for the matters he raised. On the issue of work permits where workers come in from abroad, the general operative employment permits for the meat sector have a number of conditions attached concerning pay and hours of work. In addition to those conditions, the employer applicant must provide the Department with a signed declaration that the company will ensure the foreign national employee has access to suitable accommodation and training, including language training. When the Workplace Relations …

Migrant workers who come to this country have full employment rights and the full rates of pay to which everybody else is entitled. They are not tied to any one employer. If they wish to work for somebody else, they may do so. Only in the region of 15% of these workers are on work permits. They too have full employment rights and, because of the work permit system, they earn more than the minimum wage. They may change employer if they so wish. It is important to state that all of these workers have rights in that r…

The food sector, as the Minister, Deputy Creed, has said, is probably the most regulated sector we have. We have inspections by the HSA and the WRC. Workers in the meat sector enjoy the benefits of all employment rights. It does not matter where they come from; they have access to all of the supports Irish workers enjoy. If, for some reason, some of them must take time off they receive full illness benefits. They have the exact same rights as all Irish workers.

Non-EU migrant workers have rights under the permit with which they come in here. We are very careful that they get paid more than the minimum wage. In certain sectors they get paid considerably more than it. In particular, meat boners receive €27,000 per annum. The WRC is the inspectorate that checks the conditions of employees. They are being taken care of.

I-----

Excuse me?

To explain to the Deputy, there are certain processes through which queries are raised. The query he raised with me or with my Department concerned a specific issue, if I remember correctly, of a work permit and somebody who was in the State, possibly illegally; I do not know.

The matter was dealt with in an efficient way by my Department. The Deputy got a letter in response on 1 April. By the way, the Deputy was not the only Deputy who raised the matter with my Department and everybody was responded to at the same time.

No.

To respond to that point, my office contacted Deputy O'Donoghue. The issue was raised with my Department. It was a specific issue relating to a specific section of my Department. It was dealt with and the Deputy received a response. I take exception to the manner in which the Deputy has outlined the case.

Thank you. If the attitude of the Deputy from Limerick changed - perhaps he should look at his own approach - he might find that people would be more collegial.