Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)
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208. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress that has been made in respect of bringing forward legislation following on from the Supreme Court judgement in a case (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30351/21]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The urgency to amend the Workplace Relations Act 2015 and other acts that make provision for investigations in the Workplace Relations Commission is a result of a Supreme Court ruling and the consequential Orders which resulted in the current statutory framework being declared inconsistent with the Constitution. The Orders concern public hearings and the necessity to have a statutory power to administer an oath or affirmation with an associated penalty for giving false evidence.

The Government approved priority drafting and authorised the Tanaiste to arrange for the seeking of a waiver of pre-legislative Scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Bill from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment on 19 April 2021.

A drafter was appointed on 20 April 2021 and the Joint Committee granted its waiver on 5 May 2021. It is expected that the Government will approve the publication of the Bill shortly.