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Workplace Relations Commission

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 July 2018

Thursday, 5 July 2018

Questions (182, 183, 184, 185)

Maurice Quinlivan

Question:

182. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of workplace relations inspectors employed in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29886/18]

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Maurice Quinlivan

Question:

183. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of staff employed by the Workplace Relations Commission in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29887/18]

View answer

Maurice Quinlivan

Question:

184. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of workplace inspections by WRC inspectors that took place in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29888/18]

View answer

Maurice Quinlivan

Question:

185. Deputy Maurice Quinlivan asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the budget of the Workplace Relations Commission in each of the years 2015 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29889/18]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 182 to 185, inclusive, together.

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC assumed the roles and functions previously carried out by the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), the Equality Tribunal (ET), the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) and the first-instance functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT).

The WRC’s core functions include the carrying out of inspections of employer records in relation to employment rights compliance, the provision of information, adjudicating on complaints under employment rights, equality and industrial relations legislation and the provision of mediation, conciliation and advisory services.

The inspection and enforcement services of the WRC endeavour to achieve voluntary compliance with employment law through the provision of education and awareness, inspection of employers’ employment records. In instances where employers either refuse or fail to rectify the breaches identified and/or pay money due to their employees these cases are referred for prosecution.

Table 1: The number of workplace relations inspectors employed at the end of 2015, 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 is as follows:

Number of Inspectors in WRC

2015

2016

2017

To date in 2018

Administrative Officer Team Managers

1

1

1

1

HEO Inspection Team Managers

6

6

6

5

Executive Officer Inspectors:

48

48

51

54

The WRC is staffed by civil servants who are part of the overall staffing of my Department. The details at table 2 set out the number of staff employed in the WRC at end of 2015, 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018.

Table 2: The number of staff employed by the WRC at the end of 2015, 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 is as follows:

Number of staff in the WRC

2015

2016

2017

To date in 2018

Headcount

168

162

173

186

Full time equivalents

159.96

154.36

165.09

179.33

The WRC carries out inspections of employer records with a view to determining compliance with employment rights legislation. These inspections arise

- In response to complaints received of alleged non-compliance with relevant employment rights legislation;

- As part of targeted campaigns which focus on compliance in specific sectors or specific pieces of legislation, or

- As routine inspections, which act as a control measure.

Table 3: The number of workplace inspections by WRC inspectors in 2015, 2016, 2017 and to date in 2018 is as follows:

Year

Number of Inspections

2015

5,185

2016

4,830

2017

4,750

2018 (to 30 June)

2,911

As the WRC was established late in the 2015 fiscal year, the budgets of the individual workplace relations bodies,(which were amalgamated to form the WRC), remained unchanged until the following year. The pay/non-pay budget allocations of the various workplace relations bodies in 2015 were as follows:

Table 4: Pay and non-pay budget allocation for Workplace Relations Bodies 2015.

2015

Non- pay€000

Pay €000

Total€000

National Employment Rights Authority (NERA)

862

5,183

6,045

Labour Relations Commission (LRC)

814

4,130

4,944

Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT)

422

2,960

3,382

Equality Tribunal (ET)

239

1,460

1,699

The budget allocation for the WRC is made up of pay and non-pay elements in support of the work activities of the Commission. Officials of my Department work closely with the WRC during the annual estimates process to ensure that adequate funding is provided to enable the WRC to fulfil its mandate. Details of the WRC’s funding in terms of pay and non-pay for 2016, 2017 and 2018 are set out at table 5.

Table 5: The WRC budget allocation for pay and non-pay in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Workplace Relations Commission (WRC)

Non- pay€000

Pay €000

Total €000

2016

2,489

10,081

12,570

2017

2,314

11,065

13,379

2018

2,314

11,700

14,014

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