Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 February 2018
267. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of employment rights compliance investigations launched by the Workplace Relations Commission’s inspection services in 2017 in relation to Acts (details supplied), in tabular form. [8595/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra268. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation the number of compliance notices, fixed payment notices and summary prosecutions issued by the Workplace Relations Commission’s enforcement services in 2017 for alleged failures to comply with employment rights legislation, broken down by the Acts which those notices and prosecutions are in relation to. [8596/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 267 and 268 together.
The Workplace Relations Commission carries out inspections of employer employment records
- In response to complaints received of alleged non-compliance with relevant employment rights legislation;
- As part of compliance campaigns which focus on compliance in specific sectors or specific pieces of legislation, or
- As routine inspections, which act as a control measure.
The aim is to achieve voluntary compliance with employment law through the provision of education and awareness, inspection of employers’ employment records and enforcement where necessary. While every effort is made to secure compliance, some employers either refuse or fail to rectify the breaches identified and/or pay money due to their employees. These cases are referred for prosecution.
The metric used for recording inspection activity is by economic sector as opposed to specific statutes. The following table sets out inspection activity by economic sector in 2017.
|
Sector |
No. of inspections |
|
AGRICULTURE |
48 |
|
CONSTRUCTION |
75 |
|
CONTRACT CLEANING |
18 |
|
DOMESTIC WORKER |
20 |
|
ELECTRICAL |
6 |
|
EQUINE |
54 |
|
FISHERIES |
95 |
|
FOOD & DRINK |
645 |
|
HAIR AND BEAUTY |
79 |
|
HEALTH NURSING AND CHILDCARE |
78 |
|
HOTEL |
55 |
|
MANUFACTURING |
38 |
|
MISCELLANEOUS OTHERS |
332 |
|
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES |
124 |
|
SECURITY |
20 |
|
TRANSPORT |
61 |
|
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL |
258 |
|
TOTALS |
2,006 |
|
UNANNOUNCED VISITS |
2,741 |
|
GRAND TOTAL |
4,747 |
The following tables set out the number of compliance notices, fixed payment notices and summary prosecutions issued by the Workplace Relations Commission’s enforcement services in 2017.
|
Total Issued |
Number |
Legislation |
|
|
Compliance Notices |
122 |
17 |
Payment of Wages Act 1991 |
|
105 |
Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 |
|
Total Issued |
Number |
Legislation |
|
|
Fixed Payment Notices |
30 |
30 |
Payment of Wages Act 1991 |
|
Prosecutions |
*95 |
62 |
Employment Permits Acts 2003 and 2006 |
|
14 |
National Minimum Wage Act, 2000 |
||
|
30 |
Organisation of Working Time Act, 1997 |
||
|
7 |
Payment of Wages Act, 1991 |
||
|
2 |
Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act, 1996 |
||
|
19 |
Workplace Relations Act, 2015 |
*Some of these prosecutions were for breaches of more than one Act.
