Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept the principle that there has to be a real deterrent to prevent unfair dismissal. That is the point of having industrial relations machinery that deals with that. Nevertheless, we have to try to get the balance right between, on the one hand, protecting workers and making sure there is not unfair dismissal, with an appropriate deterrent in that regard, and also having a proportionate response in the context of potential income loss, other job opportunities and so on. I accept the point.

I am sure the Deputy is aware my Department is working on the establishment of an employment law review group. Proposals in respect of the Unfair Dismissals Act can, of course, be considered as part of that future work programme. It would be useful for interested parties or case studies and so on to be submitted to that review group. I am certainly open to it but the current system, by and large in terms of industrial machinery to manage the relationships between employers and workers, has worked reasonably well in Ireland. I think the numbers I outlined regarding payments made in 2020 show some evidence of that, but that is not to say we are not open to review or to updating the legislation.

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