When the matter of the Anti-Discrimination (Pay) (Amendment) Bill, 1975, was raised on the Order of Business on 28th April, I undertook to make a statement to the House on the Government's intentions in relation to that amending Bill after we had received a formal communication from the Commission in Brussels on the limited derogation provided for in the proposed Anti-Discrimination (Pay) (Amendment) Bill from the EEC directive on equal pay. That formal notification of the Commission's decision has been received by us and our limited derogation from the provision of the equal pay directive have been rejected by the Commission.
Deputies will recall that we made the aplication of derogation under Article 135 which allows us in exceptional circumstances to seek protective measures. As the Commission has formally turned down our application the Government will not be proceeding with the proposed amending legislation. Deputies will recall that the major power of the amending Bill introduced here was that where employees in an undertaking were convinced that job loss would be a consequence of the implementation of the 1974 equal pay legislation such employees would have the right to decide on their own phasing-in of the provision of the 1974 Act, subject to a time limit of two years.