MEPs have voted in favour of new European Union rules to make workers who are posted temporarily to other member states subject to the same pay rules.
The current rules have faced criticism from those who feel they allow companies to bring in workers from low-wage countries and undercut local workers.
The new law means posted workers will be entitled to the same pay rules as people from the host country from the first day of their posting.
They would also generally be subject to nearly all aspects of labour laws in the host country after a year.
Ireland will have two years to comply with the law after it is given final approval by national ministers in member states.
The EU's Employment Commissioner Marianne Thyssen said the rules should stop a "race to the bottom" on working conditions, adding that the plans are about fairness and are "not protectionist".
Fine Gael MEPs - who are part of the EPP group - voted in favour of the proposals, along with Sinn Féin MEPs who are part of the GUÉ group.
