Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 398: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the estimated annual cost to the economy of workplace bullying; his proposals to counter and minimise the incidence of workplace bullying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31996/06]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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There are no statistics available on the cost to the economy of workplace bullying.

The Report of the Expert Advisory Group on Workplace Bullying was launched and published by me on the 17th August 2005 and it follows on from a 2001 Report by the Taskforce on the Prevention of Workplace Bullying. The recommendations of the 2001 Taskforce were implemented.

One of the recommendations in the 2005 Report of the Expert Advisory Group was that a follow up survey on workplace bullying, similar to that commissioned for the 2001 report, be conducted as soon as practicable to establish a baseline from which the effectiveness of the new structures and processes would be measured. I am implementing this recommendation in order to have up-to-date information on which to base further action. The contract for that survey was awarded to the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) following a competitive tendering process. I understand that the Institute's report is expected by next January.

In the meantime, I have asked the Health and Safety Authority to update the 2002 Code of Practice on Workplace Bullying (one of the recommendations of the 2001 Report) and bring it in line with the 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act.