Vol. 550 No. 4
125 Mr. P. Carey asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she will consider setting up a completely independent body of suitably qualified people trained to investigate cases of alleged workplace bullying along the lines of the mechanism which exists through the Labour Court legislation where an official arbitrator for workplace disputes exists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9073/02]
While I have no plans to set up an independent body to investigate cases of alleged workplace bullying such as envisaged in Deputy Carey's question, the issue of workplace bullying is being addressed in a comprehensive and structured manner following the completion of the deliberations and recommendations of the task force on the prevention of workplace bullying.
The task force recommended a series of actions to be taken at both enterprise and State level. The main recommendations requiring State action include: (i) the designation of the Health and Safety Authority as the central co-ordinating State agency; (ii) the establishment of an advisory committee on workplace bullying within the Health and Safety Authority; (iii) the introduction of three codes of practice on workplace bullying and harassment under (a) the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, 1989, (b) the Industrial Relations Act, 1990 and (c) the Employment Equality Act, 1998; and (iv) the development of a dignity in the workplace charter.
Progress to date includes the establishment of the advisory committee and a bullying response unit, within the Health and Safety Authority, the development and launch of the dignity in the workplace charter, which has been endorsed by the ICTU, IBEC and CIF, and which has been widely distributed by the Health and Safety Authority. In addition all three codes of practice have now been finalised and will be launched next week.
