We turn a blind eye to odious exploitation

One of our less attractive characteristics is our cultural enthusiasm for enacting well-intentioned legislation or regulations and then forgetting about them. We are very good on the theory of lawmaking but far less admirable when it comes to giving that legislation meaning by applying it so whatever behaviour it was designed to stamp out is, well, stamped out.

The latest example of that has been brought to light by the organisation representing migrant fishermen, mostly African or Asian, crewing in the Irish fleet. The International Transport Workers’ Federation reports that, three months after a deal was agreed to protect workers, little or nothing has changed.