The number of workplace inspections has almost halved over the past four years, it emerged today.
Recent controversies over the treatment of migrant workers at GAMA construction and Irish Ferries have heightened calls for increased inspections.
But the number of labour inspection has fallen from 8,323 in 2002 to 7,168 in 2003 and 5,160 last year.
Labour Party Enterprise spokesman Brendan Howlin said that according to the figures he obtained through a parliamentary question, just 3,811 inspections were carried out during the first ten months of this year.
"If this pattern in maintained until December, the end of year figure for 2005 will be just 4,573, or about 55% of the number of inspections carried out in 2002."
Mr Howlin said the drop in inspections was alarming, given the huge influx of foreign workers who were particularly vulnerable to exploitation and the documented abuse of the rights of young workers.
"It demonstrates once again that the protection of workers is very low on the list of this government's priority," he said.
The Labour Party has previously drawn attention to the fact that there are 21 Labour Inspectors employed as labour inspectors but 54 people employed as dog wardens.
The lack of labour inspectors to prevent the exploitation of workers in one of the reasons why the Irish Congress of Trade Unions has deferred entering negotiations on a new social partnership agreement.
Mr Howlin said he believed short staffing in the Labour Inspectorate was the reason for the fall in inspections.
"Figures provided in July of this year indicated that, at that stage, only about half of the 31 sanctioned Labour Inspector posts had actually been filled," he said.
He called on Enterprise and Employment Minister Michael Martin to ensure the labour inspectorate was properly staffed and expanded further in the long term.
A spokeswoman for Mr Martin said he had increased the number of labour inspectors by 50% in the last year - from 20 to 31.
"Obviously, those (extra) labour inspectors are to work particularly in the migrant worker area, and there are also other services provided by the Department, such as the employment rights section."
She said there had been a number of reasons for the drop in labour inspections.
"In the intervening years there was a period of time where, due to sick leave and a number of other reasons, the unit hadn't been working at full capacity but obviously the increase in inspectors will make a substantial difference to the number of inspections."