Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 February 2008
246 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of labour inspectors employed through the National Employment Rights Agency; the areas that the inspectors operate; the number of court cases determined as a result of their investigations; the number of convictions as a result of such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7575/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to delivering the key package of measures agreed under the chapter dealing with Employment Rights and Compliance in the National Social Partnership Agreement, Towards 2016, and in this regard the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) was established on an interim basis in February 2007.
In accordance with the Towards 2016 commitment, NERA is progressively increasing the number of labour inspectors from 31 to 90. Recruitment processes to select an additional 59 inspectors have been completed and to date 50 of these posts have been filled. A further 5 inspectors are due to commence on the 3rd of March 2008 and appointment of inspectors to fill the 4 remaining posts is progressing. Due to success in recent internal Departmental competitions and internal Departmental transfers, 5 of the original 31 inspectors posts are now vacant and therefore, currently, there are 76 inspectors employed in the National Employment Rights Authority.
As part of the Government decentralisation programme, NERA established its headquarters in Carlow at the end of July 2007. The Social Partnership Agreement Towards 2016 also provided that NERA, would be established on a regional basis and in this regard, a new regional structure of NERA has been put in place.
In addition to inspectors located in NERA headquarters in Carlow, (which covers the counties of Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow), inspectors are located in regional offices now established in Dublin (which covers counties Cavan, Dublin, Meath, Louth and Monaghan), Cork (which covers counties Cork, Kerry, Waterford and South Tipperary), Shannon (which covers counties Clare, Galway, Limerick and North Tipperary) and in Sligo (which covers counties Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim, Longford, Mayo and Roscommon).
Finally, in the year 2007, twenty-eight cases were referred for prosecution following inspections by NERA inspectors. To date, 11 have resulted in conviction
247 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of labour inspectors that are stationed in County Kildare or operate specifically in the Kildare area; the number of investigations carried out in each of the past two years; the results of such investigations; the number of court cases; the results of such cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7588/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to delivering the key package of measures agreed under the chapter dealing with Employment Rights and Compliance in Towards 2016 and in this regard and as part of the Government decentralisation programme, the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) established its headquarters in Carlow at the end of July 2007.
NERA's regional inspection services office for the Midlands and South East Region, which is co-located with NERA's headquarters in Carlow, covers the counties of Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Offaly, Wexford, Westmeath and Wicklow. While the twenty-two inspectors working from that regional office are assigned to cases throughout that region they may, as the need arises and at short notice, be deployed to specific areas.
147 and 377 employment rights inspections were undertaken in County Kildare in 2006 and 2007 respectively. These inspections resulted in the initiation of three prosecutions the proceedings in respect of which are still ongoing.
The primary objective of the NERA Inspection Services, where breaches of employment law are detected, is to seek compliance and rectification of any breaches identified, including redress for the individual/s concerned and payment of any arrears due to employees. In this regard the NERA Inspection Services recovered arrears amounting to almost €1.4 million in the year 2006 and €2.5 million in the year 2007.
