Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 January 2010
199 Deputy John McGuinness asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on expanding the role of the registrar of friendly societies in line with the role and function of the certification officer in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1817/10]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware I have directed my Department to extend the scope of the reviews of the existing legislation relating to industrial and provident societies (co-operative societies) and friendly societies to include the functions of the Registrar of Friendly Societies under the Trade Union Acts. The Deputy may also be aware that the McCarthy report made a recommendation in relation to the Office of the Registrar of Friendly Societies, and this too is being taken into consideration in the context of the reviews.
Our trade union legislation is very much based on the UK Acts, the principal Act being a UK Act of 1871, and whilst there have been some amending Acts in the intervening years the basic registry functions have remained relatively similar in the two jurisdictions. I would anticipate, insofar as the review of the legislation will consider the functions of the Registrar under the Trade Union Acts, that it will have due regard to the functions discharged by comparable regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions, in particular the UK, given the historic linkages.
