Vol. 521 No. 1
27 Mr. Stanton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of actions taken as a result of inspections and investigations carried out by the labour inspectorate of her Department, during the most recent 12 month period for which records are available, under the various Acts being administered; the results, if any, of these actions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16747/00]
In the 12 month period 1 June 1999 to 31 May 2000 a total of 6,823 inspections for compliance with labour legislation were carried out by the labour inspectorate of my Department. These inspections break down between the various Acts as follows: Industrial Relations Acts, 1946 to 1990 – 1,657; Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 – 1,724; Payment of Wages Act, 1991 – 1,732; Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1996 – 1,454; National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 – 245; Employment Agencies Act, 1971 – 11.
During the same period the number of cases of infringement involving referral to the Chief State Solicitor's office for legal action against offending employers was 14. Court hearings during the period in question of prosecution actions taken by my Department in respect of offences under employment legislation numbered nine, all of which resulted in the conviction of the employers involved. Apart from these cases, the labour inspectorate recovered arrears of wages or holiday pay owing to employees as a result of underpayments made to them by their employers in the year June 1999 to May 2000 to the amount of £261,766.
Will the Minister of State comment on recent reports that workers in the hotel industry are worse off as a result of the introduction of the minimum wage? Is he satisfied that enough staff are working in his Department to police the minimum wage? How many staff work in that area?
The staff figures show an increase from ten to 17. The report of which I am aware referred to an ICTU report which said that 108,000 of the estimated 163,000 identified as immediate beneficiaries under the National Minimum Wage Act have still not had their wages increased to the legal rate. My Department checked this with ICTU and we have discovered that there was no evidence available to support this claim and we have been advised that the press reports misrepresented the position.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
