Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 January 2017
1666. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation further to Parliamentary Question No. 257 of 8 December 2016, if she will write to the company (details supplied) to urge it to honour the full recommendations of the Labour Court; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1635/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI must reiterate to the Deputy that the Labour Court operates as an independent adjudicative body in carrying out its statutory function and as such it is not appropriate for me to intervene in this or any other matter relating to that function.
The statutory position under the Redundancy Payments Acts 1967-2014 is that a minimum entitlement to a redundancy payment for employees who have a set period of service with the employer is provided for.
While agreement on a redundancy payment above the statutory minimum may be entered into at local level or as part of an industrial relations process involving the machinery of the State, this payment is ex-gratia and comes about through agreement; not through any statutory entitlement.
The Labour Court forms part of the voluntary system of industrial relations which operates in Ireland and recommendations made by the Court under the Industrial Relations Acts 1946-2015 are not binding on the parties concerned.
