Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the compliance which can be enforced in respect of a Labour Court hearing and decision in the matter of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12103/07]

Tony Killeen (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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The Labour Court conducts hearings on trade disputes and then issues recommendations setting out its opinion on the dispute and the terms on which it should be settled. The law on industrial relations disputes does not generally seek to impose a solution on the parties to a dispute but rather seeks to assist them in arriving at a solution.

I understand that the Labour Court held a hearing in relation to the dispute referred to by the deputy and their Recommendation on the matter issued in August 2006. As it 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 give serious consideration to the Court's recommendations.

Recommendations of the Labour Court are not legally binding however and ultimately, responsibility for the settlement of a trade dispute rests with the parties to the dispute.