Hiring ‘illegals’

FIONÁN Sheehan’s feature on ‘Scrooge Employers’ (Irish Examiner, Dec 24), highlighted, in a very praiseworthy way, the abuse of workers’ rights

Mon, 13 Jan, 2003 - 00:00

employers. He referred to the very inadequate number of 17 in the labour inspectorate which has to deal with this very important issue.

The labour inspectorate will have an enlarged brief when the Employment Permits Bill is enacted and will need greatly to be beefed up, either by recruitment or reallocation of personnel.

This is because Mary Harney has promised that in the new Bill there will be sanctions against employers for hiring illegals. This is vital as there is no greater prop to the scourge of illegal immigration then the hiring of illegals. However, any sanctions will be useless unless offences are adequately policed.

Immigration Control Platform condemns the abuse of workers’ rights, native and immigrant, by employers and the undermining of our immigration policy by the hiring of illegals.

Both areas demand an adequate labour inspectorate.

Áine Ní Chonaill,

Immigration Control Platform,

PO Box 6469,

Dublin 2.