Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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Question 124: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if, in line with the Government's stated commitment to child care, he will set about a reform of the child care industry whereby child care workers would have an entitlement to a career structure to include pay scales, pension rights, promotional and training structures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37921/05]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has responsibility for the EU Equal Opportunities Child Care Programme 2000-2006 and the Department of Health and Children has responsibility for the child care regulations under the Child Care Act 1991. Pay and conditions of employment beyond those provided for in employment rights legislation are matters which can be negotiated and agreed between employers and employees.

For certain sectors, joint labour committees, JLCs, set minimum rates of pay and conditions of employment for the workers involved. Joint labour committees are statutory bodies established under the Industrial Relations Acts 1946 to 2001. Each JLC is composed of representatives of employers and workers in the relevant sector. They agree terms and conditions to apply to specified workers in that sector. On foot of a proposal from a JLC the Labour Court makes an employment regulation order, which is statutory instrument setting out terms and conditions applying to specified workers in a particular sector.

A new JLC can be established by order of the Labour Court on receipt of an application. It is open to a trade union or any organisation or group of persons claiming to be representative of workers or employers in a sector to apply for the establishment of a joint labour committee.