Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the implications of the Irish Ferries dispute on his Department's policies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4073/06]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The fundamental approach of successive Governments to industrial relations has been one of voluntarism. There is a consensus among the social partners that the terms and conditions of employment of workers are best determined through the process of voluntary bargaining between employers and workers and between employers' associations and one trade union or staff association or more. This approach to industrial relations has served us well over the years.

In general, our laws do not try to impose a solution on parties to a trade dispute but rather are designed to help support the parties in resolving their differences. The State has, by and large, confined its role to underpinning voluntarism through the provision of a framework and institutions through which good industrial relations can prosper. Institutions have been established that can assist in the resolution of disputes between employers and workers such as the Labour Relations Commission, including its rights commissioner service, the Labour Court and the Employment Appeals Tribunal.

The Irish Ferries dispute was ultimately resolved through the utilisation of the industrial relations machinery of the State. The agreement between Irish Ferries, SIPTU and the Seamen's Union of Ireland was brokered by the Labour Relations Commission following the intervention of the national implementation body, and shows that, even in the must difficult of circumstances, our industrial relations and social partnership system is successful at resolving disputes between employers and employees.