Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps being taken to reduce waiting times for hearings at the Employment Appeals Tribunal ; if he has had a request for additional personnel or resources from the tribunal; if these requests have been met; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16562/08]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Employment Appeals Tribunal is an independent body under the aegis of the Department. As an independent body, I have no role in relation to the day-to-day operation of the Tribunal.

I understand that the Tribunal continues to target areas of the country where the waiting time is longest. Progress has been made in reducing the waiting period. Currently the average waiting period for areas outside Dublin is 36 weeks compared to a high of 54 weeks in early 2007. The waiting period in Dublin is currently 14 weeks compared to a high of 27 weeks in early 2007. I understand the Tribunal will continue to target areas of the country with particular regard to the volume of cases on hand.

Extra resources have been assigned by the Department to the Tribunal in line with the Social Partnership Agreement, "Towards 2016" where the Government undertook to increase resources to the employment rights bodies. An increase of 8 staff was agreed for the Tribunal. To date 5 extra staff has been deployed and a further 1 will be assigned on 12 May. The direct effect of these extra staff has been to allow an increase from 5 Tribunal divisions per day each week in early 2007 to 7 and 8 Tribunal divisions per day per week since January 2008.

The Tribunal Chairperson has drawn attention at meetings with the Department to the need for full staff resources. I am pleased to say that the Department will be in a position to assign the remaining staff to the Tribunal in the near future, which will address the resources issue.