Bertie Ahern (Dublin Central, Fianna Fail)

The draft heads of the judicial council Bill to provide effective remedies for complaints about judicial misbehaviour, including lay participation in the investigation of complaints, are being prepared in the Department, taking into account work done by the Constitution review group, the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Constitution and the Chief Justice's committee on judicial ethics. It is still listed for next year but the heads are not ready yet. I believe it will be some time.

On the employment rights legislation, a number of Bills arise from the recent social partnership agreement. The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, has established a section in his Department to progress a number of these. It is the intention to fast forward as many of them as we can. I do not believe they can all be contained in one Act. They had started working on legislation for the protection of workers back prior to the summer. I do not have a date — it is not listed. However, we have told the social partners we will give this priority. I believe there are three different measures. The officials are working on them and we hope to bring them forward as soon as possible.

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