Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)

The transposition of the directive is obliged to ensure that the provisions of this legislation do not impinge negatively on the rights under existing legislation on information and consultation. That is what is provided for in the existing section. I understand that what the two Deputies seek to include are the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2001 and the Industrial Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004. Both of these industrial relations Acts deal with dispute resolution procedures in undertakings that do not have collective bargaining arrangements in place and as such provide for issues entirely distinct and separate from information and consultation. The provisions of the industrial relations Acts 2001 and 2004 are separate and distinct from the purpose and intent of the information and consultation directive. They do not deal with information and consultation arrangements and, therefore, do not fall within the scope of what is being transposed in this legislation.

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