Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Yes, indeed. To be honest, I do not know. It is not Government policy to have mandatory recognition, as it is essentially a voluntary system. The reason is that many investors do not recognise trade unions. We have a mixed system. What evolved under the industrial relations Acts, is that trade union representation was not recognised and there were still issues that needed to be resolved and a means of adjudicating on them in the Labour Court, that did not require mandatory recognition, was developed under the Acts. The ambition of Government is to get back to restore a system for dealing with such cases. It has not been Government policy to seek to introduce mandatory trade union recognition. I am not a constitutional lawyer, but if I can find information I will send it to the Senator.