Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the national employment rights authority will be established on a statutory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16559/08]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 68: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress to date in regard to the work of the national employment rights authority; when the authority will be placed on a statutory basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16563/08]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 22 and 68 together.

The National Employment Rights Authority, or NERA, has been established on an interim basis since February 2007. The Authority will be established on a statutory basis on the enactment of new Employment Law Compliance Bill which was published on 18th March this year and will be enacted in the coming months. Department of Finance sanction was secured for a total staff complement for NERA of 141, including an increased complement of 90 Inspectors.

The Director of NERA was appointed and took up duty on 12 February 2007. The Director is supported in his role by a management team including legal and accounting expertise and an administrative staff which are now fully in place.

Considerable progress has been made in the recruitment and deployment of Inspectors over the past year with 56 of the additional 59 inspector positions now filled. The appointment of inspectors to fill the 3 remaining posts is progressing. A budget allocation of €10.8 million has been provided for NERA for 2008.