I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 95 and 96 together. The information and Consultation Directive, or the EWC Directive as it is often called, is due for transposition into national law by 22 September 1996.
Following the issue of a Consultation Paper in July of this year, my Department has been having extensive consultations with employer and employee interests, including IBEC, ICTU and individual companies, on how best to transpose the Directive into Irish law. An expert working group in Brussels, which is representative of all the countries covered by the Directive, has also been examining transposition issues.
I expect that legislative proposals to transpose the Directive into Irish law will soon be put to Government.
While my Department is not officially engaged in the enumeration of enterprises, agreements or workers coming under the scope of the Directive, I understand from independent surveys that up to 300 enterprises with operations in Ireland and employment in the region of 150,000 could be affected. I am not in a position to give the precise number of voluntary agreements under Article 13 of the Directive (i.e. Pre-Directive Agreements) which have been reached between firms and their employees. I am informed, however, that in the EU as a whole over 60 Pre-Directive Agreements have been adopted, a number of which impact on Irish-based employees.