Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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342. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the requests and observations addressed to him by the International Labour Organisation; and the replies he sent to each request and observation. [8079/14]

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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343. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of requests and observations the International Labour Organisation has addressed to him regarding compliance with social and labour standards since March 2011. [8080/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 342 and 343 together.

International labour standards are legal instruments drawn up by the ILO's constituents (governments, employers and workers) setting out basic principles and rights at work. They are either conventions, which are legally binding international treaties that may be ratified by member states, or recommendations, which serve as non-binding guidelines. Conventions often lay down the basic principles to be implemented by ratifying countries, while related recommendations supplement the conventions by providing more detailed guidelines on how they could be applied.

Every year, the International Labour Organisation contacts its member countries, formally requesting information on the application of the various conventions that they have ratified.

Since March 2011, Ireland responded to 48 requests from the ILO on various conventions. As of 18 February 2014, Ireland did not have any outstanding reporting obligations with the ILO.

In addition, the ILO frequently contacts the Department to advise of conferences in relation to particular standards.