Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 250: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if his Department agreed with the decision of the State to concede in the High Court case taken by a group (details supplied) challenging the fixing by the Labour Court of minimum wage levels for certain industries; if his Department has made an assessment of the outcome of this case for workers in the hotel sector and in the 16 other sectors covered by joint labour committees; the action he will be taking to ensure that existing procedures for the setting of wages are not open to legal challenges which would have dire consequences for vulnerable low paid workers. [5561/08]

Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 251: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on whether the decision of the State to concede in the High Court case taken by a group (details supplied) challenging the fixing by the Labour Court of minimum wage levels for certain industries, will have implications for upcoming pay talks. [5562/08]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 251 together.

I have noted the decision reached in the High Court on 7 February to quash the Employment Regulation Order, relating to minimum remuneration of workers, made by the Labour Court on foot of proposals from the Hotel Joint Labour Committee on 5 November 2007, and to remit the matter back to that Committee. The implications of the issues raised during the course of the Hearing will require consideration by the Committee, the Labour Court and by my Department. The pay element of Towards 2016 falls to be reviewed in the coming weeks. I have no doubt that the issues which arose in this case will be of interest to the parties to the Agreement. However, I would like to assure Deputies of the government's ongoing commitment to ensuring that there are adequate systems and processes in place to underpin employment standards.