Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The purpose of the legislation is to promote higher levels of compliance. We encountered a number of difficulties in this regard, including the long delays that obtain, the level of complexity in the system and the fact that the same issue could be pursued via different channels. As a result, neither worker nor employer knew where their obligations lay. This did not assist in the context of compliance. There were also problems in the areas of enforcement and recovery. I have sought to bring forward a balanced set of amendments to improve the process and make it more effective to operate. I have also sought to improve the position with regard to recovery whereby if people fail to honour their obligations, it will be easier for workers to pursue them and recover any moneys due. That is the overall purpose of the Bill. A higher level of compliance is the goal. In any modern workplace, the human resource is the key resource of any company. Where employers to do not respect their employees and treat them with dignity, they fail themselves and they treat those to whom I refer in a bad way. We are trying to promote the highest standard of workplace relations. In my view, the latter is crucial to our long-term ambition to grow the economy, bring about full employment and so on.

Senator Craughwell referred to the central role trade unions have played for many years.We need to recognise that our approach has always been voluntarist and that has been at its core. The success of bodies such as the Labour Relations Commission and the Labour Court has been in the way in which they have been able to manage difficult situations. Often even the most intractable dispute has through that process reached a conclusion. It has served us well and we seek to remain within that voluntarist tradition.

The sections of the Bill we are dealing with here relate to the appointment of inspectors and their powers. Senator Cullinane himself recognises that his amendment is going a bit beyond these sections in that he seeks to anticipate legislation that we will introduce in due course. That legislation is in preparation and we will, I hope, bring it to the House soon. The debate on that legislation should be for that day.