Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 101: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the position in relation to the proposal in the Employment Law Compliance Bill 2008 for a company (details supplied) to have policing powers in certain matters in the electrical contracting industry. [9556/09]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The company to which the Deputy refers is a private company, limited by guarantee and established under the aegis of the National Joint Industrial Council for the Electrical Contracting Industry by employer and worker representatives themselves. Its main objective is to advise Electrical Contractors of their responsibilities under the Registered Employment Agreement (REA) for the Electrical Industry and it also carries out inspections of Electrical Contractors in order to ensure compliance with the agreement.

Section 45 of the Employment Law Compliance Bill as published last year is intended to support and enhance monitoring and inspection activity in relation to compliance with the Registered Employment Agreement (REA) in the electrical contracting industry. This Section of the Bill gives legal effect to commitments entered into under the Social Partnership agreement, Towards 2016, to complement the work of NERA in relation to compliance with the REA in the electrical contracting sector. Specifically, it provides that the Director of NERA can enter into a Service Agreement with an "approved body" such as the company to which the Deputy refers, or indeed such other bodies as may be approved by the Director of NERA with the consent of the Minister. The Service Agreement would prescribe the operational arrangements to obtain between NERA and the approved body regarding the conduct by that body of inspection activity in relation to the electrical REA.