Liz O'Donnell
Ceist:22 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment if he will report on the policing of new regulations on under-age working. [19218/96]
Written Answers. - Under-age Working Regulations.
I presume the Deputy is referring to the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1996. I propose to bring the Act into operation shortly when regulations necessary to give the legislation full effect have been made (following approval, in draft, by both Houses).
The inspectors in the Labour Inspectorate of my Department will be appointed as inspectors for the purposes of the new Act. Enforcement will be effected through the investigation of complaints and through visits to workplaces by the inspectors as part of their routine enforcement of the various statutes for which they have responsibility.
The Act will provide for the first time that young people will have an avenue of redress against employers who penalise them for not working longer hours than the legislation allows. Their avenue of complaint will be to a rights commissioner whose recommendation may be appealed to the Employment Appeals Tribunal.
It is my intention to increase awareness of the legislation by the distribution, on coming into operation of the new Act, of explanatory information to schools, employers' organisations, trade unions and other interested parties. I also propose that in the immediate future inspectors shall make a number of routine visits to workplaces concentrating on the legislation with a view to making both employees and employers aware of its provisions.
The Act allows for penalties of up to £1,500 on summary conviction for contraventions of the legislation. Where a person, following a conviction, continues to contravene the provision concerned, a fine of up to £250 a day may be imposed.