I want to ask about the employment (miscellaneous provisions) Bill. Two weeks ago the Taoiseach restated his commitment to ending zero-hour contracts. While I welcome that, the Government has not published the Bill which is also supposed to deal with low hour contracts, banded hours and related matters. The real issue for many workers is low hour and "if and when" contracts which are creating serious insecurity for families.

Deputy Cullinane of Sinn Féin has successfully steered the Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016 through the Dáil and through a rigorous pre-legislative scrutiny in the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. The committee produced a report and backed the Bill with amendments. Will the Taoiseach agree to support the Sinn Féin Bill and, if not, will the Government publish the employment (miscellaneous provisions) Bill as soon as possible?

I confirm that, as stated some weeks ago when the legislative programme for this period was launched by the Chief Whip, the Government will publish the Bill before Christmas. It is being drafted currently. It will effectively ban zero-hour contracts and bring in banded contract hours. As soon as it is drafted it will be published and will go to pre-legislative scrutiny.