Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2005
184 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his attention has been drawn to an apparent deficiency in the administrative processes of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (details supplied); if, in view of the fact that the Office of the Ombudsman has no powers to investigate or make recommendations in relation to this apparent deficiency, he will take steps to rectify it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2421/05]
View answerThe Employment Appeals Tribunal is empowered under section 39 of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967, as amended, to give notice to a person to attend before it and to produce documents under his or her control which relate to the matter under investigation by the tribunal. In this particular case, it appears that the party concerned was served with such a notice, in which case there is no apparent deficiency in the administrative process of the tribunal. I emphasise that the Employment Appeals Tribunal is an independent body in the discharge of its functions. I have no function in its day-to-day operations. The Ombudsman is precluded under the Ombudsman Act 1980 from examining complaints relating to the Employment Appeals Tribunal.
