George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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702. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if it is his intention to require employers to furnish references to employees upon request; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46454/25]

Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation, which offers extensive protections to workers.

While there is no statutory entitlement to a reference from an employer, where an employer does provide a reference, they have a duty of care to ensure it is fair and not misleading.

There are currently no proposals to introduce a new statutory obligation on employers to furnish references.

Where an employee believes their employer has provided a false employment reference, legal recourse may be possible including under the Defamation Act 2009, which falls under the responsibility of the Minister for Justice.