Sinéad Gibney (Dublin Rathdown, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

30. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps his Department is taking to review and strengthen the effectiveness of the joint labour committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21702/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Joint Labour Committees (JLCs) are provided for under the Industrial Relations Act 1946 and were reformed by the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act, 2012. A JLC is comprised of equal numbers of representatives of employers and workers in a sector. JLCs meet regularly, under an independent Chairperson to discuss proposals for terms and conditions to apply to specified grades or categories of workers in the sector.

In 2023, a Review of the JLCs was conducted by the Labour Court, in line with the requirements of the 2012 Industrial Relations Act which requires a review of the JLCs at least every five years. The Review recommended maintenance of the nine JLCs already in existence. The former Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Neale Richmond TD, approved the recommendations of the Labour Court Review and made an Order giving them effect. Details are available here: www.labourcourt.ie/en/publications/joint-labour-committees-reviews/.

Any further changes to the JLC system will be considered in the context of the development of Ireland’s Action Plan on collective bargaining, as required by Article 4 of the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages. The Programme for Government commits to publishing the Action Plan by the end of 2025. I remain strongly supportive of the state’s collective bargaining and wage setting mechanisms, and the important work of the JLCs in setting EROs.