Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to ratify the International Labour Organisation convention on domestic workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16952/11]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I welcome the recent successful outcome of discussions at the International Labour Conference (ILC) that lead to the adoption of a new International labour standard aimed at ensuring Decent Work for Domestic Workers. This outcome was achieved following extensive negotiations on the draft text of an instrument over a three-week period on which work commenced at the 2010 session of the ILC.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that the final text of the draft Convention was one that the Irish Government was in a position to support and the Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers now becomes ILO Convention No. 189 supplemented by a Recommendation. The Convention was adopted by a sizeable majority of ILO members at the plenary session of Conference just a week ago.

Ratification of the Convention by ILO member countries would commit members to respect, promote and realise the labour standards and principles inherent in the Convention. It is now a matter for ILO members individually, to consider ratification to the maximum extent in order for this instrument to receive widespread and universal application as a global standard.

The issue of ratification by Ireland of this Convention will be considered in the context of our standard approach to the ratification of international instruments. In this regard, the Convention will need to be examined from the perspective of any changes that may be required to existing domestic legislation. This will involve careful examination of the provisions of the Convention as well as obtaining any legal advice that might be necessary. Issues around implementation and enforcement of the Convention will also need to be considered.

In the meantime, it is important to point to the fact that the full suite of employment rights legislation, including that of redress for violations of employment rights, that apply to employees generally in Ireland apply equally in the case of domestic workers.