Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 20 November 2008
45 Deputy Eamon Gilmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the legislative measures she plans to introduce arising from the new social partnership agreement; the proposed timetable for each such piece of legislation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41779/08]
Amharc ar fhreagraI welcome the recent decisions by IBEC and ICTU to ratify the Towards 2016 Transitional Agreement reached between Government and the Social Partners.
The Agreement provides for a number of commitments, including some involving legislation, aimed at strengthening protections for employment standards, while also ensuring that Ireland continues to provide an excellent environment for business and job creation. Commitments that are likely to have a legislative dimension include: enactment of the Employment Law Compliance Bill; the development of a national framework on the employment and rights of temporary agency workers, while prohibiting their use in the case of official strikes or lock outs; addressing the issue of employee representation and appropriate legislative framework; prohibition of the victimisation of employees engaged in trade union activities and of the incentivisation of non-membership of trade unions; and transposition of the optional pension provisions of the Transfer of Undertakings Directive.
I look forward to working with the Social Partners and my Ministerial colleagues in making speedy progress on the commitments entered into under this Agreement, including those requiring legislative enactment. It is difficult to be specific about timetables for legislation as this is primarily a matter for the House and for the Seanad and is also influenced by the availability of legal advisory and parliamentary drafting resources which are faced with ever increasing competing demands. However, the Deputy may be assured that no effort will be spared to meet the commitments in the Transitional Agreement.
