Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 9 Feb 1999

Vol. 500 No. 1

Written Answers - Employment Appeals Tribunal.

Dan Neville

Question:

99 Mr. Neville asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason the rank of the administrative head of the Employment Appeals Tribunal is significantly reduced from assistant principal officer to higher executive officer; her views on whether this significantly reduces the esteem with which the Employment Appeals Tribunal is held; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3678/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Mr. T. Kitt)

The regarding of the rank of secretary was on foot of a recommendation by an independent consultancy study of the administrative procedures in the Employment Appeals Tribunal, secretariat and was part of a package of measures introduced to improve the service provided by the tribunal. Developments of late in so far as the Employment Tribunal is concerned have been an increase in the number of tribunal members, a substantial increase in the staff of the secretariat and information technology improvements. The changes have enabled the tribunal to perform its statutory functions more efficiently and to provide a better service generally. The waiting period for cases to come to hearing before the tribunal has been considerably reduced. For example, the waiting period in Dublin is now two to three months compared to six months in 1996. In the rest of the country the waiting period has also substantially reduced.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal has an important role in adjudicating on employment rights issues. The Department will continue its engagement with the development of the operational efficiency of the tribunal. During the course of the year, the Department plans to achieve a reduction in the waiting period for the issue of determinations, as well as put in place a further upgrade of the data base of determinations and to make them available to all on the Internet. The Department is also funding an ongoing review by the tribunal of pre-hearing assessments.

Given the evidence of these considerable improvements and the work under way and planned, the public can be assured that its confidence in the Employment Appeal Tribunal is justified. The resources devoted to its operation and the development measures afoot testify to the high regard in which I hold the tribunal and the support which is provided to it.