Sean Barrett (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Mark Rodger to the Visitors Gallery. Mr. Rodger is a partner in Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, one of Canada's largest law firms. As we all know, there are strong connections between Ireland and Canada, going back as far as the founding father Thomas D'Arcy McGee. The Leader will know that Newfoundland is merely a suburb of Waterford. Our guest is most welcome.

In the recent campaign to abolish this House we all stood shoulder to shoulder with the Leader. I am delighted the people decided in our favour. One of the main campaigners on the other side was a leading figure in the industrial relations sector. An bord snip nua, in its examination of that sector, found it had a 2009 allocation of €51 million and 517 staff. That is almost nine times the size of the Seanad. In fact, an bord snip nua found that the sector was overmanned by 58 people, which is almost equivalent to the membership of this House. On page 83 of volume II of its report, an bord snip nua recommends the merger of the Labour Court and Labour Relations Commission, transfer of activities such as the administration of joint labour committees and the functions of rights commissioners to the National Employment Rights Authority, a review of the role of other bodies such as the National Implementation Body, a consideration of the merits of merging the Equality Tribunal into a rationalised industrial relations structure in a context where many of the cases it deals with occur in a workplace setting, and a discontinuation of functions such as the industrial relations advisory service, workplace mediation service, industrial relations research, public relations and so on.

I wish the gentleman concerned success in reducing the size of the public sector, most especially in his own area, as recommended by an bord snip nua. Will the Leader invite the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, to the House to report on progress in this area? A retained and reinvigorated Seanad would welcome progress in rationalising the State's complicated and unduly expensive industrial relations structures.