I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. As he will be aware, Ireland has a comprehensive body of employment, equality and industrial relations legislation. Ireland’s system of industrial relations is essentially voluntary in nature. It has been the consistent policy of successive governments to support the industrial relations institutional framework. Indeed, the programme for Government commits to supporting the central role of the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court in industrial relations and employment rights. I would always encourage parties to make every effort to reach a resolution by agreement between themselves and with the help of the industrial relations machinery of the State if necessary. I note from media reports yesterday that there have been constructive discussions between the parties and that there may be a resolution in sight, which is welcomed by all. All employers are responsible for ensuring their employees receive all the protections afforded them under employment legislation. The Protection of Employment Act 1977 protects and supports workers in redundancy situations. The legislation imposes certain legal obligations on employers proposing collective redundancies, including the requirement for a 30-day consultation period with employees and their representatives. Employers must notify me, as Minister of State, and the Minister for enterprise, tourism and employment, of the proposals at least 30 days before the first dismissal takes effect. Employers may not issue notices of redundancy during this period. On 14 February 2025, the Department received a collective redundancy notification in accordance with the legislation from the company named by the Deputy. Employees have the right to refer complaints to the WRC on a wide range of employment law breaches for adjudication and redress, including the right to refer a complaint should an employer fail to consult, and that was done in this case.
Sentiment score: 0.28
As I said in my earlier contribution, Ireland has a robust suite of employment rights legislation to protect and support workers in redundancy situations. In the first instance, responsibility for the resolution of industrial disputes between employers and workers rests with the employer and the workers and their representatives. The programme for Government supports the critical role of the WRC and the Labour Court, if it gets to that situation, in the context of industrial relations and employment rights. As the Deputy said earlier, we all welcome the fact the employees in the company have suspended their industrial action, which is very important. Their constructive discussions have led to a possible resolution and follow-up balloting by members. The Department will continue to ensure workers' rights are strengthened, that we have robust legislation in place and that we continue to support workers.
Sentiment score: 0.28
I am not familiar with the detail of this specific case, but Ireland's system of industrial relations is essentially voluntary in nature. It has been a consistent policy of consecutive governments to support the development of the institutional framework within the WRC and the Labour Court. In this instance, we did receive advance notice of collective redundancies from the company which complied with the Protection of Employment Act in terms of supporting certain legal obligations. The consultation process has raised serious concerns, however, relating to what was being offered to the employees, who have the right to complain and to seek representation, which is what happened in this case. The machinery of the State is the WRC and Labour Court for any resolution.
Sentiment score: 0.13
I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for raising this important matter. I look forward to working with her in delivering the SDZ at Ireland West Airport Knock. Balanced regional development is a key focus of this Government. My Department contributes to this objective through the work of its enterprise development agencies, Enterprise Ireland and the IDA as well as through the network of 31 LEOs which have a presence in every county. It is the responsibility of the nine regional enterprise plans which focus on initiatives to deliver growth in each of the nine regions of Ireland. The programme for Government commits to considering the development of economic SDZs for the regions. An SDZ, as it has been until now, is a planning designation and is typically followed by the development of a planning scheme for the SDZ by the relevant local authority. The Department has engaged with the SDZ at Ireland West Airport Knock, including through the provision of more than €200,000 per year over a two-year period to Mayo County Council for the development of a roadmap for the development of the SDZ. A project manager for this work, who was appointed in August of last year, is developing a roadmap setting out the process for the development of the SDZ, for example by identifying the infrastructure required to advance the site, identifying the challenges facing the development, facilitating access of funding to deliver on specific project elements, and supporting the communication of the vision of the SDZ at a local level and to other interested parties. The work of the project manager is overseen by a steering committee chaired by Mayo County Council and includes representatives from key stakeholders including the IDA, Enterprise Ireland, the Western Development Commission, the Northern and Western Regional Assembly, Atlantic Technological University, Ireland West Airport Knock and the Department. The most recent meeting of the steering committee took place in December, with the next meeting expected in March. Officials from the Department have also liaised with relevant Departments and State bodies on issues of relevance to the SDZ.
Sentiment score: 0.21
I think we are all in agreement that this is a critical piece of enterprise-enabling infrastructure for the west and north west. We have support from the Minister, Deputy Burke, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, who also have regional responsibilities. The development requires focus and commitment. I welcome the appointment of Dominick Healy in August last year. He is a very competent project manager. The roadmap will build on the consensus of the steering committee stakeholders which comprise a number of State agencies and key local authorities. The completion timeline of two years has been set by the SDZ development roadmap. We have a timeline of August 2026, two years after the appointment of the project manager. We want to see, following that, a number of initiatives to ensure that there is investment in that strategic land bank to ensure it has critical services and utilities and that we have a plan to attract investment.
Sentiment score: 0.29
This Government has been steadfast in its support for Ireland West Airport Knock through the regional airports programme. More than €20 million has been invested in key infrastructure, safety and security projects at the airport. There were record passenger numbers again. The trajectory for that airport is important. Work is being done with the board of Ireland West Airport Knock to attract investment. Aircraft maintenance companies have set up there already. This work is important. The former Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the former Minister, Simon Coveney, moved this on to ensure there was a feasibility study. The Minister of State at the time, Deputy Calleary, was also supportive in the Department. We need to work collectively to ensure it reaches its full potential. The SDZ has the potential to open up the Atlantic economic corridor. As the Deputy said, key infrastructure projects like the western rail corridor are critical to its viability.
Sentiment score: 0.26