Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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404. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if the Workplace Relations Bill 2014 is fully compliant with EU anti-discrimination law and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. [34396/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I am committed to delivering a world-class workplace relations service. The Workplace Relations Bill 2014 will give statutory effect to the reforms which I am currently introducing to the State’s existing employment rights and industrial relations structures.

This legislation provides a statutory basis for a new structure which will see the existing five workplace relations bodies replaced by two. The Labour Relations Commission (LRC), the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), the Equality Tribunal, the first instance functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) and the first instance functions of the Labour Court will be replaced by the new Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), and the appellate functions of the EAT will be transferred to a new expanded Labour Court.

The aim of the Bill is to create a modern, user-friendly, world-class employment workplace relations system that will provide significant benefits for its users and society as a whole. The focus will be on resolving the workplace disputes as quickly and inexpensively as possible. The Bill does not propose any alterations to the substantive equality law laid down in the Employment Equality Act, the Equal Status Act and the Pensions Act, which is already fully compliant with EU anti-discrimination directives.

Ireland has an excellent record in relation to equality matters. Ireland was in fact one of the first countries to create a wide-ranging equality law which pre-dated most of the European Equality Directives. The reforms that will be given legislative effect by the Workplace Relations Bill will modernise and enhance the redress mechanisms available to those who believe they have been discriminated against on the grounds set out in the Equality Acts. In addition to enhancing the equality redress mechanisms, I am satisfied that the new workplace relations structures and processes which will be given statutory effect by the legislation fully embody the spirit of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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405. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the annual saving of €2 million arising from the new workplace relations bodies following the enactment of the Workplace Relations Bill 2014. [34397/14]

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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406. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the current number of whole time equivalents working across the workplace relations bodies; and the number that will be employed in the two replacement bodies following enactment of the Workplace Relations Bill 2014. [34398/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 405 and 406 together.

In addition to enhancing the service provided to users, the reform of the Workplace Relations Bodies will reduce staff numbers and the associated costs of delivering the service.

At the end of 2010, before the beginning of the reform process, there were 249.06 whole time equivalents in the workplace relations bodies. The current staffing strength of the bodies is 218.64 whole time equivalents. While there will be further staff reductions due to the continuing reform programme, it is not possible to say at this stage what the final staffing complement of the new bodies will be.

It is expected that the savings achieved by the reform programme will amount to €2 million per annum, mainly due to staff reductions, reduced per diem costs and efficiencies achieved. The main drivers of the reduction in staff costs will be the centralisation of administration and case management services and the automation of business processes. There will also be savings in travel and subsistence costs due to the centralisation of hearings in regional locations and a reduction in room hire costs due to the provision of hearing facilities in Workplace Relations Commission regional offices where feasible. Further savings will arise from the implementation of the new Customer Relationship Management System which is currently being developed.

The Employment Appeals Tribunal will continue in existence for a period after the establishment of the new bodies to finalise its outstanding cases and the final savings arising from the reform programme will not accrue until it has been dissolved. The 2014 allocation for the EAT is €3.5m and allowing for the cost of an additional Division in the Labour Court, the dissolution of the EAT will contribute very significantly to the overall €2m saving projected.