Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

292. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to provide a breakdown of the current staffing of Workplace Relations Commission inspector services in tabular form. [46795/15]

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

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) was established on 1 October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015, and has responsibility for information provision, workplace advice, mediation, conciliation, adjudication, inspection and enforcement in relation to employment rights, equality and equal status matters and industrial relations. Its staff forms part of the overall Departmental staffing complement.The WRC assumes the roles and functions previously carried out by the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), Equality Tribunal (ET), Labour Relations Commission (LRC), Rights Commissioners Service (RCS), and the first-instance (Complaints and Referrals) functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT).

The Labour Inspectors of the WRC carry out inspections of employer records with a view to determining compliance with employment rights and employment permits legislation. These inspections arise:

-In response to complaints received of alleged non-compliance with relevant employment rights legislation;

-As part of compliance campaigns which focus on compliance in specific sectors or specific pieces of legislation, or

-As routine inspections, which act as a control measure.

The aim is to achieve voluntary compliance with employment law through the provision of education and awareness, inspection of employers’ employment records and enforcement where necessary.

Staffing resources are allocated across my Department in the context of the requirement to manage the pay bill and staff numbers in accordance with Government policy, utilising available resources in the most effective and efficient manner as appropriate to business needs and priorities.

70.2 Full-time Equivalent posts comprise the staffing complement of the Workplace Relations Commission Inspector Services with the senior management and clerical support also having additional responsibilities as identified below. These comprise:

- Principal Officer 1.0

- Solicitor 0.6

- Assistant Principals 4.0

- HEO Support 1.0

- Clerical Admin Support 7.8

- Inspectors (Including Team Managers) 55.8

The Inspector Services are configured as set out below in the following table as requested by the Deputy.

** These staff have additional duties in the Information and Customer Division, dealing with phone queries and processing complaints for hearing by adjudicators.