Acknowledging that employment law and workers' rights merit but two paragraphs in the programme for Government and on the anniversary of the scandalous treatment of Clery's workers, it is imperative that the recommendations of the University of Limerick report, commissioned by former Minister of State, Gerald Nash, be implemented. These are vital issues for low and middle income workers all over the island of Ireland. Can the Taoiseach tell us which Minister of Government is specifically charged with labour affairs and workplace issues? Will the Government legislate for the proposals in the University of Limerick report on zero-hour contracts, abuses, such as if-and-when contracts, bogus self-employment designation and, above all, protecting workers in so-called informal insolvencies and collective redundancies?

The Ministers responsible are Minister of State at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Pat Breen, and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor.

Does the Taoiseach have nothing else to say about the University of Limerick report?

That is all referred to in the Private Members' motion, which is due this evening.

This is Leaders' Questions.

Yes. Government has an amendment-----

Give us a flavour.

Give us a hint.

-----to that motion dealing with the question of the University of Limerick study, which will obviously have to be implemented.

The Taoiseach is on the side of the angels, all right.

This is Leaders' Questions.

One gets used to it after five years.

The Taoiseach is obliged to answer the question-----

Now the Deputy knows how we feel.

-----and not say somebody will answer it in due course. That is not an answer.

A convert, a Cheann Comhairle.

I will ask again. Is it the Government's intention to legislate-----

We spent five years learning-----

Deputy Calleary, please.

Ask Wonder Woman. She will tell the Deputy about it.

Is that the way the Taoiseach spoke to the Deputy at Cabinet?

The Teachtaí from Fianna Fáil should calm down. Calm down a bit, lads.

Do not be provoked, Deputy Howlin. Get on with your question.

I will do my very best. Is it the Government's intention to legislate on the University of Limerick report proposals that were being advanced by former Minister of State, Gerald Nash? The matters I have talked about are of real concern to low and middle income workers and, in fact, to all workers. The issues are zero-hours contracts, abusive if-and-when contracts, bogus self-employment and the protection of workers in insolvencies. Does the Taoiseach agree that there are now sectors of the economy which are vulnerable to exploitation, notably catering and security? Is any statutory provision envisaged by this Government to protect those vulnerable workers?

Deputy Howlin asked me to answer the question. He asked me what Minister was responsible and I said the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Mitchell O'Connor.

That is the closest the Taoiseach came to answering it.

The Government has not considered the outcome of the study of the University of Limerick but it will consider that-----

It has been six months.

-----and make its views known. If there is an opportunity for a debate in the House, we will have that. Minister Howlin, or Deputy Howlin - gabh mo leithscéal - is well aware of the foundation he partly put in place himself. Ireland has moved up nine places to the seventh most competitive economy. The Deputy beside Deputy Howlin, the former Minister for Social Protection, would be interested to know that the unemployment rate is down to 7.8% today, which I am sure is of interest to Deputies.

It is all very interesting but irrelevant to the question.

That is no way to treat the Opposition.

Sectors of the economy, such as catering and security, which the Deputy mentioned, are vulnerable and the Government will reflect on how best to deal with those vulnerabilities in the interest of continued employment in those sectors while taking into account the vulnerability that obviously exists there.