Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

What steps is the Government taking, if any, to bring about a resolution of the dispute? This is a serious dispute because of the number of electricians involved and the number of sites and places of employment directly affected by it. It is also serious because of the potential knock-on effect on the wider economy. As the Taoiseach said, there is a voluntary system of industrial relations. The problem is that the nature and complexity of this dispute and the degree to which the industrial relations issues in dispute criss-cross with legal challenges means that it is unusual.

As the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, the Tánaiste has powers under the Industrial Relations Act 1990 to cause the Labour Court or the Labour Relations Commission to intervene in this dispute. Under section 38 of the Act, where a dispute affects the public interest, as this does, the Tánaiste has the power to ask the Labour Court to intervene directly. Secondly, where the dispute is of special importance, she has the power to appoint the Labour Court or some other body to inquire into it and make a report to her. This is the kind of dispute for which these powers were envisaged under the Industrial Relations Act. Is it intended that these powers will be used to bring the parties together? From what we have heard on the airwaves, there is quite a degree of disagreement between the parties. This is what happens in a dispute. Sometimes, the longer the dispute goes on, the more entrenched these positions become. It is in everyone's interest that this intervention is made sooner rather than later.

There have been problems with registered employment agreements. The Taoiseach referred to the court challenge taken by some electrical contractors to this registered employment agreement. There have been other court challenges to agreements in the hotel industry in respect of the joint labour committee system. The Government promised to bring in legislation to modernise the joint labour committee system and the registered employment agreement system. We have all heard of difficulties that arise in respect of electricians, hotels, catering, security and a number of other industries covered by registered employment agreements. The legislation has been promised for some time and does not appear to have advanced. Can the Taoiseach indicate when this will be progressed?

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