Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 462: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps he has taken to stop the displacement of jobs within an organisation (details supplied) in County Cork. [33889/06]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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By letter dated 3rd July 2006, Chorus Communication Ltd., notified me, in accordance with Section 12 of the Protection of Employment Act 1977, of up to 137 proposed collective redundancies from its workforce of 472. The grounds for collective redundancy cited were internal re-organisation and restructuring. The letter stated that the company had written to SIPTU inviting them to discussions on the redundancies, as required by the 1977 Act, and on the wider issues arising for the union's members involved in the reorganisation.

Irish industrial relations law is designed to help support the parties to a trade dispute to resolve their differences rather than seeking to impose a solution on the parties. The State facilitates the bargaining process by providing a framework and institutions through which good industrial relations can prosper. Institutions such as the Labour Relations Commission, including its Rights Commissioner Service, and the Labour Court have been established to assist in the resolution of disputes between employers and workers.

Minister Martin met with company management and with representatives of the workers and SIPTU in September to discuss these matters and he was informed that direct contact between the company and SIPTU had resumed and that progress has been made in resolving outstanding issues surrounding the proposed redundancies.

More recently, in their attempts to resolve outstanding issues, I understand that the company and the trade union have attended a conciliation conference at the Labour Relations Commission. A further meeting is expected to take place shortly.