Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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308. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of workplace inspections in 2016 by sector and region; the total amount of wages recovered in these periods by sector and region; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12404/17]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) is an independent, statutory body which was established on 1 October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015. The WRC 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.

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).

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 WRC’s 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.

Details in relation to the number of workplace inspections undertaken by the WRC in 2016 by sector and by county and the total amount of wages recovered during that period are provided in the tables below (a regional breakdown of sectoral inspections undertaken is not available).

By sector

By County