Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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507. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the regulations in place for fitness studios to open up; and if any qualifications and standards must be met. [33857/16]

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Insofar as the question raises standards that must be met and come under the remit of my Department, employment rights and occupational health and safety of individuals working in the sector, are regulated.

Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment, equality and industrial relations legislation, in respect of which the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is mandated to secure compliance. Ireland’s employment rights legislation protects all employees who are legally employed on an employer-employee basis.

Additionally, as regards occupational health and safety legislation, the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 requires employers to ensure that working conditions are such as will protect the safety, health and welfare at work of employees. It also requires employers to manage their business in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that individuals at the place of work who are not employees, are not exposed to risks to their safety, health or welfare. In reference to any activity or sector, the 2005 Act only applies where there is a work activity or likely to be one carried out in the near future.

Any persons with questions or complaints regarding their rights under employment legislation should contact the Workplace Relations Customer Service section of the WRC, which provides general information in relation to the rights and obligations under the relevant legislation. It can be contacted at Lo-call: 1890 808090. The WRC website www.workplacerelations.ie also provides extensive information on employment right.

The Health and Safety Authority’s Workplace Contact Unit (WCU) is a helpdesk resource for employers, employees and members of the public. The WCU is the primary point of contact for a range of topics including obtaining health and safety information; complaints relating to workplaces; notification of accidents at work etc. The WCU can be contacted by a variety of means, email wcu@hsa.ie, telephone LoCall: 1890 289 389 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 12:30pm) or fax 01 614 7125.