Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 87: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the action he is taking to ensure that workers at a recently closed factory (details supplied) in County Cork are paid the agreed compensation as set down in their partnership agreement with the company and confirmed three times by the Labour Court; the sanctions he will invoke against the company if the redundancy and termination package is not paid over to workers immediately; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23513/06]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Labour Court operates as an industrial relations tribunal, hearing both sides in a trade dispute. It then issues recommendations setting out its opinion on the dispute and the terms on which it considers the dispute should be settled. In line with the voluntarist nature of the industrial relations system in this country, Labour Court recommendations for the resolution of trade disputes are not legally binding. However, as the Labour Court is a court of last resort in the industrial relations process, it is expected that the parties come to the process in good faith and consequently are prepared to accept the outcome of the process, namely the Labour Court recommendation.

I recently met with a union delegation in relation to this matter and my colleague Minister Martin met both parties and urged them to resolve their differences. However, responsibility for the settlement of a dispute ultimately rests with the parties themselves.