Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 6 November 2014

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation

Workplace Relations Bill 2014: Committee Stage

2:35 pm

Photo of Richard BrutonRichard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There are currently three bodies carrying out the adjudicative function at first incident level, which will comprise the WRC adjudication service, namely, the EAT, the Rights Commissioner Service and the Equality Tribunal. Under existing procedures, neither the EAT nor the rights commissioners have the power to refer a point of law to the High Court, whereas the director of the Equality Tribunal has the power to refer to the High Court a point of law arising in the course of an investigation. This power of the Equality Tribunal was created in August 2011 and has not been used to date. Given that every case can be appealed to the Labour Court, and from there to the High Court on a point of law, there does not seem to be a compelling reason for short-circuiting this process. Therefore, I will not accept the amendment.

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