Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 45: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if, with regard to his proposals for merger and reform of the current employment and workplace dispute resolution bodies, if he will outline the expected impact the transition to the new structures will have on staffing numbers, staffing deployments, staffing roles and competencies, organisational arrangements, facilities and accommodation; if he will outline the expected cost to the Exchequer to achieve the expected reorganisation and retraining; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20914/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My objective is to deliver a world-class Workplace Relations service and framework that serves the needs of employers and employees and provides maximum value for money. The Reform Programme will deliver a two tier Workplace Relations structure by merging the activities of the National Employment Rights Authority, the Labour Relations Commission, the Equality Tribunal and the first instance functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal and the Labour Court into a new Body of First Instance, to be known as the Workplace Relations Commission. The appellate functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal will be incorporated into an expanded Labour Court.

Substantial progress has already been made and a number of important priority actions that I identified last July have been successfully delivered within the target timescale. These include the establishment of a single contact portal called "Workplace Relations Customer Services" which provides a single point of entry into the system for workplace relations complaints and information. Complaints are now acknowledged and the employer is notified within, on average, five working days of the complaint being lodged which increases the likelihood of employers and employees resolving issues sooner and has substantially reduced the backlog for certain hearings. A Single Complaint Form that deals with over 100 first instance complaints and an interim website, workplacerelations.ie, were launched on the 4th of January this year. Finally, delivery of a pilot Early Resolution Service has commenced. This service, which will enter a pilot phase in early May this year, will assist parties to a dispute to resolve the issue themselves with the assistance of a Case Resolution Officer.

Work has commenced on the drafting of a Workplace Relations Bill to give effect to the new two-tier structure. I intend to have this legislation enacted by autumn this year. On 5th April this year I published a Blueprint Document setting out a clear path for the delivery of the remainder of the Reform Programme.

The implementation of the Reform Programme will necessarily impact on staff numbers, staff deployments, staff roles and competencies, organisational arrangements, facilities and accommodation and will deliver significant savings to the Exchequer in terms of both reductions in staff numbers and associated costs. A detailed action plan to deliver change and associated savings will be drawn up on completion of the current consultation process at which time we will have greater certainty on the new structures and framework and on the organisational structures and associated staffing. This year we will spend around €20m of taxpayers' money on the five existing employment dispute resolution bodies. My aim is to effect significant savings against this expenditure in future years while at the same time providing a greatly enhanced service.