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

I move amendment No. 49:

In page 48, between lines 30 and 31, to insert the following:"Fees
69.The Minister may, in respect of—

(a) such services provided by the Commission as may be prescribed, and
(b) such services provided by the Labour Court as may be prescribed,

charge the recipient of any such service a fee for the purpose of defraying the cost of the provision of that service by the Commission or the Labour Court, as the case may be.".

As published, the section inadvertently restricted the enabling provision whereby the Minister could, by order, prescribe fees in respect of specified services to the services of the workplace relations commission alone. The proposed amendment extends this enabling provision in like manner to the services of the Labour Court.
I note Deputy Tóibín's opposition to section 69. Section 69 is an enabling provision which would allow the Minister to levy fees and charges on users of services to be provided by the commission or the Labour Court. However, I have decided not to introduce charges for access to workplace relations commission services for many reasons, chief among which is the belief that forum shopping will not be a feature of the new system. The only exception will be in the case where a party who failed to appear at the first instance hearing of the workplace relations commission without good cause wishes to appeal the decision to the Labour Court; he or she will have to pay a fee of €300 when lodging the appeal. I wish to clarify that the introduction of any fees will require regulations, and such regulations can be annulled by the Oireachtas.