90 Mrs. Fennell asked the Minister for Labour whether his Department have carried out any survey on the effects of the implementation of the Part-Time Workers Bill; whether this Bill has caused any job losses; if he has satisfied himself that this legislation will not affect any potential employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

The Worker Protection (Regular Part-Time Employees) Act, 1991 was enacted in response to concerns that a growing segment of workers in regular part-time employment remained outside the scope of a broad range of protective labour legislation. The Act is designed to take into account both the legitimate needs of employers for flexibility in running their businesses and the real need of regular part-time workers for statutory protection in relation to their employment.