Some immigrant workers are not "content in their employment" in Mayo, Independent TD Beverley Flynn told the Dáil yesterday. She said the county had a non-national population of Latvians, Filipinos and many Polish workers from the EU.
"The existing work-permit system is a form of being sold into slavery because the worker is tied to one employer and cannot move," she said.
"I am aware of cases where workers have found another job, but with the consent of the employer and where they were granted a new work permit with a new employer. However, if relations between an employer and an employee are hostile, this solution cannot be achieved."
Ms Flynn said that as a result, many people had left their jobs and had remained in the country as undocumented persons. It was important to inform newly-arrived migrant workers of their rights regarding the minimum wage and the work they had been permitted to undertake.
She was speaking during the resumed debate on the Employment Permits Bill which aims to establish a green card for skills shortages in a restricted number of occupations in a salary range from €30,000 to €60,000, and a more extensive list of occupations above €60,000.
Gerard Murphy (FG, Cork North-West) claimed the Bill, and the publicity it had received, were totally misleading. Headlines such as "immigrant workers to get work permits" were misleading because the reality was that they would get a copy of the work permit, which the employer had received, and that was a long way from the situation where the migrant worker had the right to apply for his or her own permit.
Dr Mary Upton (Labour, Dublin South Central) said she welcomed a number of positive provisions in the legislation, such as making it an offence for any employer to take and keep documents such as passports.
"Migrant workers are vulnerable and they have sufficient reason to be frightened and scared without their passports being withheld. Those who are considered to be in Ireland illegally may have their status changed, which is also welcome."
Ciarán Cuffe (Green Party, Dún Laoghaire) said they must provide for immigration to fill the vacancies that could not be filled by Irish workers.
"In addition, we must recognise, regularise and welcome immigrants," he said. "It is a significant change and one that is perhaps easier for people of my generation, many of whom have lived and worked abroad, to accept."
There was no doubt that there must be careful screening of who could enter and remain in Ireland. "However, immigrants who have worked here for four or five years should have a right of residency," Mr Cuffe said.
He warned that the Bill might lead to a situation which occurred in Germany relating to its guest-worker system, where people were brought in when times were good but asked to leave, sometimes in a hurry, when times were bad.
