Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 50: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when it is intended to publish anti-victimisation legislation, designed to protect those workers who choose to join a trade union and which was promised by March 2009 under the review of Towards 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27442/09]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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The Towards 2016 Review and Transitional Agreement 2008-2009 provides that the Government will bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit victimisation, including dismissal, and incentivisation, and to provide effective protection and means of redress to employees when engaged in the proper and legitimate exercise of their rights to trade union membership or activity on behalf of a trade union or non-membership of a manager discharging his or her managerial functions.

The issue will be developed in parallel with the review process, also provided for under the Transitional Agreement, which will consider the legal and other steps which are required to enable the mechanisms regarding employee representation which were established under previous Agreements to operate as they had been intended. This review will be carried out under the auspices of the Department of the Taoiseach. In this context, I understand that, notwithstanding the priority which is being accorded to the ongoing discussions with the Social Partners aimed at agreeing an integrated response to the current fiscal and economic difficulties, it is intended to get the process underway at the earliest possible date.