Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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21. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her views on whether an employer labour conference type body should be re-established to facilitate good industrial relations throughout the economy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32890/16]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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I agree with the underlying premise of the Deputy's question that good industrial relations practices and a good IR environment are critically important for workers, for businesses, and the general public. Both I, as Minister, and the industrial relations institutions of the State will continue to strive for improvements in this area.

It is not current Government policy to create a new body to intervene in industrial relations disputes. The Programme for Partnership Government states that the Government will respect the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court as the proper forum for state intervention in industrial relation disputes and will ensure that both bodies are supported and adequately resourced to fulfil their roles

I consider that the creation of a Labour Employer Conference as previously existed to intervene in protracted industrial relations disputes runs the risk of undermining the role of the WRC and the Labour Court. While high profile disputes can lead to such calls, there are very many other disputes each year resolved by the WRC and Labour Court without disruption. Parties to many of these disputes might feel that they had not exhausted the IR process or done the upmost for their members if they did not have the matter considered in some way by this type of higher body.

There has been significant progress made in recent years in improving, reforming and enhancing both the industrial relations institutions of the State and the industrial relations legislative framework utilised by workers and employers. I consider that these are working well as evidenced by the resolution of many difficult and protracted disputes in recent times and the flexibility displayed.