Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)

In effect, it is with the consent of the industry but NERA is the advocate in the context of pay or conditions not being met by employers. It would take the cases and it would have the prosecutorial role in any event. Equally, the Bill as drafted — it has only completed Second Stage in the other House — states that a service agreement could be entered into between the National Employment Rights Authority and a body such as EPACE for it to carry out the inspections on behalf of NERA. Most importantly, NERA would take any case in the context of civil proceedings.