Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide in tabular form the total number of inspections by the National Employments Rights Agency for compliance with relevant employment legislation and terms and conditions in 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date in 2012; the number of compliant inspections; the number of cases brought and the number of convictions as a result of these cases; the total cost of these inspections for each year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49365/12]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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The National Employment Rights Authority aims to achieve voluntary compliance with employment law through the provision of education and awareness, inspection of employers’ employment records and enforcement where necessary. While every effort is made to secure compliance, some employers either refuse or fail to rectify the breaches identified and/or pay money due to their employees. These employers are referred for prosecution.

Where people have concerns that workers may be exploited or are receiving less than their statutory entitlement the matter should be reported to NERA for investigation. Information Officers of the Workplace Relations Customer Service phone service on 1890 80 80 90 also provides impartial information on a wide variety of employment rights legislation to both employees and employers by telephone, in writing and by email.

NERA does not keep records in relation to the marginal costs incurred in carrying out an inspection. The figures for costs included in the table below are the total costs incurred by NERA in relation to the discharge of the entirety of its functions, namely in relation to information, inspection, enforcement, prosecution and protection of young persons.