Vol. 487 No. 3
87 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will report on the most recent contact with the International Labour Organisation; the issues addressed; and the Government's response, if any, in this regard. [4116/98]
The International Labour Organisation, ILO, is the United Nations agency which deals with employment and labour market issues and whose mission is to improve standards and conditions of work and to encourage productive employment throughout the world.
My Department is in contact with the International Labour Organisation on a regular basis and, in particular, has regular meetings with the director of the ILO London office. The Minister of State with responsibility for Labour, Trade and Consumer Affairs, Deputy Tom Kitt, also met with Mr. Heribert Scharrenbroich, assistant director-general of the ILO with responsibility for Europe and Central Asia, for discussions on matters of mutual interest on 4 December last.
As part of its technical assistance to developing countries, the ILO arranges periodic study visits to Ireland. The latest such visit was to the Irish Labour Relations Commission in December last involving participants from the Russian Federation, Belarus. Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan and I understand a further visit is being arranged for participants from the Arab states.
The next international labour conference will take place in June 1998 and it is proposed to send a delegation to the conference. Among the items for discussion at the conference are job creation in small and medium-sized enterprises, contract labour, child labour and consideration of a possible declaration of principles of the ILO concerning fundamental rights. Ireland remains fully committed to the aims and objectives of the ILO.
