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Workplace Relations Commission

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 October 2020

Tuesday, 6 October 2020

Questions (152, 156)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Question:

152. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of workplace inspectors in the employ of the Workplace Relations Commission; the estimated full-year cost of their employment; and the percentage of businesses inspected by them in 2019 and to date in 2020. [28188/20]

View answer

Bríd Smith

Question:

156. Deputy Bríd Smith asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of workplace inspectors employed by the Workplace Relations Commission; the estimated full-year cost of their employment; and the number of businesses inspected by them in 2019 and to date in 2020. [28195/20]

View answer

Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 156 together.

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body under the aegis of my Department, established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC’s core services include the inspection of employment rights compliance, the provision of information, adjudicating on complaints under employment protection, equality and industrial relations legislation and the provision of mediation, conciliation, facilitation and advisory services.

1. Number of Inspectors:

The WRC Inspectorate is staffed by civil servants of my Department. As at 30 September 2020, there are a total of 48 WRC Labour Inspectors. Table 1 attached provides details of the grade, number and regional location of these inspectors. In addition, there are panels in place for the assignment of 5 further inspector grades and, working with the Public Appointments Service, new regional panels will shortly be established.

Table 1 number of inspectors

2. Number of inspections 2019 and to date 2020:

The aim of the WRC Inspectorate is to achieve voluntary compliance with employment law through the provision of education and awareness, inspection of employers’ employment records and enforcement where necessary. While every effort is made to secure compliance, some employers either refuse or fail to rectify the breaches identified and/or pay money due to their employees. These cases are referred for prosecution.

The Inspectorate Division of the WRC carries out inspections of employer records with a view to determining compliance with employment rights legislations. These inspections arise:

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

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

- From routine inspections (announced and unannounced) which act as an overall control measure.

In 2019 WRC inspectors carried out 4,804 inspections or compliance checks with €3,929,840 unpaid wages recovered. The draft figures for 2020 to date indicate that 5,166 inspections or compliance checks have been carried out with €1,323,913 unpaid wages recovered. Since early June, all inspectors and inspector team managers of the WRC have also been engaged in compliance visits on behalf of the HSA to ensure that Covid-19 Return to Work Safely Protocols were being observed by businesses in specific sectors. Of the total number of inspections in 2020, approximately 3,500 inspections included checks on the Covid-19 Return to Work Safely Protocols.

3. Cost of the WRC Inspectorate 2019 and to date 2020:

As an office of my Department, the WRC is funded through my Department’s Vote. In 2019, the basic pay cost for the inspections services of the WRC was €2,427,500. Travel and subsistence costs amounted to a further €381,477 in the same period bringing the total cost of the WRC inspections services in 2019, to €2,808,977.

Up to 2nd October 2020, the basic pay cost for the inspections services was €1,917,442 with expenditure of €171,377 on travel and subsistence incurred up to the 29 September 2020. It is anticipated that these costs will increase by 25% over the remainder of this year. As such the estimated total expenditure in respect of the inspections services on basic pay in 2020 is €2,396,803 and €214,221 on travel and subsistence, totalling €2,611,024 estimated for full year 2020. This is slightly less than last year as it includes the Covid-19 lockdown period when most businesses were closed and travel was severely restricted.

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