Mr. Liam Berney:

We estimate collective bargaining coverage in the economy is somewhere around 40% at a maximum. In advance of implementation of the directive, there has been engagement at a high-level group comprising employer and union representatives. The Government has accepted three very important recommendations around how to increase collective bargaining coverage. These are to increase the use of the joint labour committee system and remove employers' veto on the operation of that system; increase the adequacy of the 2015 legislation whereby employees can make a claim to the Labour Court if their employer refuses to engage in collective bargaining by making that process much easier; and, more important, to encourage and provide a legislative framework for good faith bargaining whereby employers will be required to negotiate and have discussions with union representatives where unions represent employees in an enterprise. People remember the LloydsPharmacy dispute, which was the most recent of several such disputes, in which the employer simply refused to negotiate with the union that represented its workers. That will not be possible any more if the report of the high-level group is transposed into law in the way in which its report envisages.

There are other provisions in the directive around how public procurement can be used to increase collective bargaining coverage. How that will be done is yet to be worked out. As the Deputy said, it is a very important directive and its transposition will be crucial. Members of the Oireachtas can have a strong role in ensuring the recommendations of the high-level group are implemented and active measures to increase collective bargaining coverage are put in place.