The Taoiseach has issued a strong warning to employers exploiting immigrant workers. "The Government is determined that the minority of employers who might exploit foreign workers coming to these shores will be brought to book, and that Ireland's international reputation as a good place to work is not in any way tarnished," he said.

Mr Ahern said he wanted to assure the House that foreign workers were entitled to the full protection of the labour laws. "We make no distinction in any of the employment legislation passed in this House."

He was responding on the Order of Business. The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, had asked Mr Ahern if he was aware of the disgraceful treatment of some immigrant workers. "Does the Taoiseach not consider it incredible, in this day and age, that some Irish employers are treating foreign immigrant workers in exactly the same way that Irish potato pickers were treated in Scotland in the 1930s?"

The Fine Gael leader, Mr Michael Noonan, said that many of the nurses recruited from the Philippines were leaving their jobs in Dublin hospitals because they were paid 30 per cent less than Irish nurses and could not afford accommodation in the city. "In effect, they are being discriminated against."

Mr Quinn criticised the "abject failure" of the Tanaiste's Department to introduce work permit legislation and to provide enough inspectors to implement existing legislation.

"What will the Taoiseach do? There is no point in his crying crocodile tears about exploitation. He has the resources to put justice back into the workplace . . ."

Rejecting Mr Quinn's assertions, the Taoiseach said the Labour leader knew how the inspectorate worked. "The Tanaiste's Department takes tough action in this area. In recent cases, files were given to the Garda for investigation. There is no tolerance of breaches."