Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the additional resources he has secured for employment rights bodies; and the way and the dates which these additional resources will be allocated. [8554/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Social Partnership Agreement "Towards 2016" provides among other matters for the setting up of an office of director of employment rights compliance with an increase from 31 to 90 in the number of Labour Inspectors and 25 support staff including a legal advisor and accountant. An additional 5 Rights Commissioners with 7 support staff were agreed for the Labour Relations Commission; an additional 5 support staff were agreed for the Labour Court; and an additional 8 support staff were agreed for the Employment Appeals Tribunal. Extra funding of a little over €10 million has been provided by the Exchequer in 2007 to cover the costs of increased staffing.

To date the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA) has been set up on an interim basis. Mr Ger Deering, the former Taxi Regulator, has taken up position as Director of this body and he has been assigned some support staff to enable the body to commence operations. Competitions have been held for the positions of Legal Adviser and Accountant for NERA and these appointments will be made shortly.

Arrangements to increase the size of the Labour Inspectorate are in progress and it is hoped that assignments will commence in the second quarter of this year and that all assignments will be made by the end of the year.

The provision of further staff to other employment rights bodies will be done as soon as possible. It is not possible to give specific dates as the Government Decentralisation process and Public Appointments Service have a bearing on appointments.