Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 458: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to bring forward legislation to reform the law governing collective redundancies, and ensuring the rights of employees to agreed redundancy payments. [18862/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I have no plans to bring forward legislation to reform the law relating to collective redundancies. I believe that the existing provisions relating to collective redundancies, as expressed in the Protection of Employment Act 1977, give sufficient protection to employees.

The statutory rights of employees, insofar as they relate to redundancy payments, are a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 459: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when he intends to bring forward legislation to reform the operation of Employment Rights Agencies. [18863/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I have recently published a detailed document, Blueprint to Deliver a World-Class Workplace Relations Service, that sets out in detail the structures and processes that I intend to legislate for and establish by the end of this year. Publication of this document provides a further opportunity for consultation. I will shortly seek a Government decision for the priority drafting of the WORKPLACE RELATIONS (LAW REFORM) BILL 2012 for enactment by autumn 2012. I will also be bringing the heads of the Bill to the joint committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education prior to going to government for approval to draft.

The Bill will provide for the establishment of a statutory Workplace Relations Commission with a full range of functions formerly carried out by NERA, the Equality Tribunal, the LRC and the EAT (first instance functions). It will also provide for the Labour Court to be the appellate body to determine appeals against decisions of Workplace Relations Commission Adjudicators.