Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is a technical amendment which is being included for the sake of consistency with the approach adopted in the workplace relations Bill which is being worked on. It does not make any substantive change to the text from a strict legal perspective, but it spells out in detail what judicial notice shall be and its impact. On that basis, it makes the text more accessible and avoids any doubt about the intention. Put briefly, the intention is that the code of practice, once signed into law by the Minister of the day, can be relied upon by employers or employees or any group of the public as the definitive guide on how to deal with a particular issue or stay out of trouble and can be relied upon in court if a dispute arises on the issue. I commend the amendment to the House. It refers to the court and takes into account court proceedings. It can be used in court proceedings and spells out the meaning of the original text.