Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 20 Nov 2001

Vol. 544 No. 3

Written Answers. - EU Directives.

Nora Owen

Question:

167 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the EU directives relevant to her Department which are awaiting implementation; the nature of the directives; when each was passed by the Council of Ministers; the date for implementation; if the Government sought a derogation; if so, the date of such derogation; if she will meet the deadline as required; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28854/01]

Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ms Harney):

The current position in relation to the transposition of EU directives for which my Department is responsible indicates a total of 29 directives to be implemented. Details of the directives, including the dates of their adoption and the deadlines for their implementation are available on my Department's website at www.entemp.ie/ecd/eudirectives.

In the case of Council Directive 97/81/EC of 15 December 1997 concerning the framework agreement on part-time work concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC, the original deadline for implementation was 20 January 2002, but Ireland obtained a deferral from the EU Commission of this implementation date to 20 January 2001 because of special difficulties in implementing the directive. Ireland has not received any formal communication from the EU Commission about non-implementation of Directive 97/81/EC. The Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Bill, 2001, which will transpose Directive 97/81/EC into Irish law, is due to pass Report and Final Stages in the Dáil on 21 November 2001, and to have passed all Stages in the Seanad and be enacted before the end of December 2001.

I am satisfied that my Department is giving all due priority to the task of implementing the provisions of EU directives, in light of the available resources.