Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 200: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress made in the sector since completion of the examination of the brick/block laying sector of the construction industry report in October or November 2006; the recommendations of same; and the progress made on each since. [31023/09]

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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In late 2003 the National Implementation Body (NIB), which comprises representatives from the Department of the Taoiseach, IBEC/CIF and ICTU, commissioned Mr. Phil Flynn and Mr. Tom Mallon to examine the reasons for the pattern of industrial relations difficulties in the bricklaying sector of the construction industry. The Report was delivered to the NIB in October 2006 and made available to the parties directly involved. The Report contained recommendations that the authors considered, if implemented, to be likely to result in a restoration of 'normality' to industrial relations in the sector. The authors noted moreover that there seemed to have been a decrease in the frequency of disputes since the Report had been commissioned.

The recommendations in the Report were largely addressed to the parties concerned and were regarded as a package, to be accepted in full by the employers' and workers' representatives. I understand that while the Construction Industry Federation accepted the Report, the Building and Allied Trades' Union could not accept it in full.

Many of the issues identified in the Report were, in parallel, pursued by Government with the social partners as part of a range of employment rights measures that were subsequently agreed within the framework of the Towards 2016 and subsequent Review and Transitional Agreements. These have been reflected in the establishment of the National Employment Rights Authority, and in enhanced liaison between NERA's operations and the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The maintenance of employment standards in the construction sector has also been advanced through the revised contractual conditions that apply under the new Forms of Construction Contracts for Public Works. The Towards 2016 Transitional Agreement also provided for a number of legislative commitments in this area to which the Government has responded in particular through the introduction of the Employment Law Compliance Bill 2008 and the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2009, which are aimed at strengthening protections for employment standards.