To be clear, the Minister's spokesperson said it would be published before the end of January and it was not. That is the reason for this question.

It was not published. That is what the Minister's spokesperson said. I am not putting words into anyone's mouth. That is a fact. My concern today is on behalf of both workers and employers. The Minister will appreciate that while he says there is a sense of urgency, I asked a priority question on this back in 2021 and it is now 2024. I do not know if the Minister's version of urgent is massively different to mine but there is three years in the difference. It is now 2024. This was promised by the Minister's predece…

The Minister referenced the service-level agreements. In his response can he indicate when that is sought to be finalised? He referenced that discussions were ongoing. I welcome the acknowledgement from the Minister that the previous schemes - I assume he was referring to TBESS - were not taken up because of form-filling, bureaucracy and costs. I had heard the suggestion that small- and medium-sized enterprises were somehow part of some group scheme, etc., and did not need the money. It was money that they very muc…

Just over 10% of the TBESS money was actually drawn down. I am not suggesting for a moment that it is an insignificant sum but there was a massive miscalculation on the part of the Government, either for the appetite for the scheme - I would contend that the appetite was most definitely there - or the capacity for small to medium enterprises to actually engage with the scheme. The Department returned €1.1 billion to the Exchequer. This was money that the Department negotiated, set aside and thought would be used, b…

I am grateful for the opportunity to make a contribution. The Bill, and the creation of a singular body, Taighde Éireann, is an important move in research and development in this State. Unfortunately, Ireland has long been a poor investor in research and development. The White Paper on enterprise states that research, development and innovation are the best ways to generate sustainable, long-term productivity growth, and I completely agree with that. However, analysis of European and global indicators shows that Ir…

I will take this opportunity to speak to my own amendments. I know a lot of the amendments have been grouped but they are all under the same heading of seasonal employment permits. I intend to speak on this issue only once this evening. I do not believe there is a need for seasonal employment permits. With the greatest of respect to the Minister of State, nothing he has said has convinced me. I am not saying that nothing he says will convince me, only that nothing he said has convinced me as yet. The Joint Committe…

I move amendment No. 2: In page 11, to delete line 26.

I move amendment No. 7: In page 13, to delete lines 31 to 40, and in page 14, to delete lines 1 to 6. The record will show I have been very clear in my opposition to facilitating not just the current Minister but any Minister of the day in gaining the power to amend the employment permits system by way of regulation. The Oireachtas committee outlined concerns in this regard as part of its pre-legislative scrutiny report. The report stated that while the general scheme aimed to enable the employment permits system t…

I move amendment No. 27: In page 28, between lines 4 and 5, to insert the following: "(4) An employment permit shall include contact details for the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Workplace Relations Commission.". This amendment is straightforward and quite technical. It does not change a huge amount but it could make a huge change for the people impacted by it. The amendment is in line with what the former Minister of State suggested on Committee Stage could be done. I indicated at the time that I would be…

I am content to withdraw the amendment on the basis of the commitment given by the Minister of State. For the record, no trade union has accepted the deal yet. The vote is not done.

I move amendment No. 31: In page 37, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following: “(2) The Minister shall refuse to grant an employment permit where in the 2 years preceding the day on which the application was made the person or employer who has made the offer of employment has been found by the WRC to be in breach of employment-legislation pertaining to any of the following: (a) employment permits; (b) national minimum wage; (c) organisation of working time; (d) paternity leave and benefit; (e) payment of wa…

I thank my colleague, an Teachta Matt Carthy, for bringing forward the motion and for his work on this matter on behalf of the Palestinian people. Last Friday's judgment from the ICJ was a huge event in this war. While the court may not have used the word "ceasefire", the only way its findings can be implemented is through a full, permanent and complete ceasefire. In one of the most important international court judgments of our time, the ICJ ruled that South Africa has a plausible case and that Israel has a case t…

The prospective changes on the way will most definitely pose significant challenges to Irish farmers and to the agrifood sector in general. The sector is one of the most important to our State and is especially important among indigenous and exporting SMEs. As a small, open economy, exports are the driving force. As it stands, only 6% of our SMEs export and most of these export to the British market. It is worth saying that when I engage with SMEs, as I regularly do, they all say they want to be able to increase th…

I move amendment No. 4: In page 38, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “(3A) A recognised trade union who applies for vetted research status under Article 40(8), shall be deemed to be an application under subsection (1) pursuant to a public interest mission recognised by a Member State under Article 2(1), of Directive (EU) 2019/790.”. The Minister of State and I spoke at length on this point on Committee Stage so I appreciate that, in the words of Yogi Berra, "It's déjà vu all over again". However, th…

I move amendment No. 5: In page 38, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following: “(3A) A Non-Government Organisation who applies for vetted research status under Article 40(8), shall be deemed to be an application under subsection (1) pursuant to a public interest mission recognised by a Member State under Article 2(1), of Directive (EU) 2019/790.”.

I move amendment No. 6: In page 40, between lines 7 and 8, to insert the following: “(2A) The Commission shall ensure the status as a trusted flagger is not awarded to an entity which is partisan and seeks the status as a trusted flagger as means of controlling or influencing content.”. The role of trusted flagger is incredibly important. To me, it is central to this legislation. At its core, it is a matter of ensuring we have a safe and predictable online environment, although sometimes I go online and I wonder wh…

I move amendment No. 7: In page 40, between lines 16 and 17, to insert the following: “(6) The Commission shall establish a database of trusted flaggers, including aggregate details of complaints, including unsuccessful complaints, to be published publicly on a yearly basis.”.

I move amendment No. 8: In page 40, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following: “(3) The Commission shall establish a mechanism for third parties to lodge complaints regarding the actions and workings of trusted flaggers.”.

I move amendment No. 9: In page 45, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following: “(3) The Commission shall ensure that fees for different classes of application or review request are not prohibitive.”. This is a fairly straightforward amendment. I would probably say that all of mine are. We had this discussion on Committee Stage. Nobody wants to see a situation where people who have the ability to be vetted researchers or trusted flaggers cannot do so because the cost is prohibitive. The Minister of State gave m…

Hear, hear.