Willie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 37: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the location he proposes for the headquarters of the new Office of the Director of Employment Law Enforcement; the number of staff that will be allocated to it; the budget that will be allocated; the process to be used for identifying its director; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32062/06]

Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if the present 31 labour inspectors is sufficient allocation for a migrant workforce that is now approaching almost 200,000 and which will significantly increase in 2007 in view of the predicted net immigration of 55,000 people. [31657/06]

Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 86: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress to date in strengthening the labour inspectorate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31912/06]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 97: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress to date in the recruitment of the additional labour inspectors promised for 2006; the problems which have been encountered during recruitment; when he expects the labour inspectorate to be fully staffed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32036/06]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 37, 55, 86 and 97 together.

The existing staff complement of the Labour Inspectorate of the Department comprises 31 Inspectors and some 7 administrative support staff.

As the Deputies will be aware, the Social Partnership Agreement "Towards 2016" sets out a number of commitments with regard to employment standards and compliance including a commitment to establish an Office of the Director for Employment Rights Compliance (ODERC). This Office, which will also assume the functions of the Labour Inspectorate, will be established through the enactment of primary legislation, to be published next year, and will be led by a Director at senior management level. While the Office will retain a presence in Dublin there will be a regionalised structure with the headquarters earmarked for location in Carlow. No specific budget has been allocated to date for the ODERC. Negotiations with the Department of Finance in this regard are proceeding in the context of the 2007 Estimates process with a view to finalising a budget allocation in time for publication of the Pre-Budget Estimates in November this year.

The number of Labour Inspectors under this Office will be progressively increased from 31 to 90 by end-2007, as part of the initiative provided in "Towards 2016" to increase the staffing resources of the Employment Rights Bodies generally. In addition to the Labour Inspectorate the new Office will also have responsibility for the provision of employment rights information and for prosecutions. It will be provided with legal, accounting and other administrative support to ensure its effective functioning.

I am pleased to say that the position of Director of the ODERC has been advertised by the Public Appointments Service. The closing date for applications is 26 October. The selection process for this competition may include the shortlisting of candidates, a preliminary interview and a competitive interview.

The Legal Advisor and Accountant positions within the ODERC will be advertised this week by the Public Appointments Service while arrangements in respect of the filling of other senior management positions within the ODERC are proceeding in the context of the Decentralisation Central Applications Facility.

My Department is in consultation with the Department of Finance in relation to the filling of some 60 new Labour Inspector positions. No difficulties in relation to the proposed filling of these positions have been encountered and I expect that the necessary competitions to fill these positions will be progressed satisfactorily.