PRSI exemptions for Gama criticised

Gama Construction received 92 per cent of all PRSI exemptions between January and May of this year and 67 per cent of all exemptions since 2002, Fine Gael has claimed.

The party's enterprise, trade and employment spokesman, Phil Hogan, said that of the 313 PRSI exemptions issued by the Department of Social and Family Affairs in the first five months of the year, 288 went to Gama Construction, which was embroiled in the controversy over allegations of exploitation of Turkish workers.

This was an abuse of the work permit system and "puts Irish companies at a distinct advantage. Using the PRSI exemption in this manner allows foreign companies like Gama, which are competing with indigenous companies, to save up to 2 per cent on a tender contract."

Speaking during the introduction of the Employment Permits Bill, he said the legislation was welcome for trying to address issues like the "shocking revelations" at Gama and Irish Ferries, "which considers one euro an hour a fair and equitable wage".

He added that "unfortunately the Bill also reflects the attitude of the current administration by playing to the baser instincts out there, constantly portraying immigration as a problem, demonising foreign workers, sitting idly by as they are exploited".

The Bill was introduced by Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Micheál Martin, who said that Ireland's economic migration policy would be vacancy-driven rather than based on quotas or points. The Minister said he would implement an "active, managed economic migration policy".

"The aim is that Ireland will have an employment permit system, which will ensure that the economy's skills and labour needs can be addressed in a pragmatic and speedy manner, while ensuring the rights of all workers are protected."

The new employment permits system will 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. There will also be an intra-company transfer scheme for temporary management transfers and a very restricted work permit scheme for jobs where there is a labour rather than skills shortage.

Labour's employment spokes- man Brendan Howlin said that "we must seek to construct a framework that goes beyond the economic needs of Ireland and considers how Irish society is to be constructed in a coherent way". The legislation was a "long time coming and one would expect a radical bill after such a period of gestation. I do not consider this Bill particularly radical and it could have been produced long before now."

Sinn Féin's spokesman Arthur Morgan considered the Bill "profoundly disappointing". He welcomed that it would put current regulations on a statutory footing but "it is not underpinned by a desire to improve the situation of migrants who contributed so much to our society and economy".