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Minister Burke and Minister Dillon address inaugural plenary of the Employment Law Review Group

4th March 2025

The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke and Minister of State for Small Businesses and Retail, Alan Dillon attended the inaugural plenary meeting of the Employment Law Review Group (ELRG). 

Professor Michael Doherty, Chair of the ELRG welcomed the members before both Minister Burke and Minister Dillon addressed the ELRG.

Minister Burke congratulated members on their appointments and spoke about what the government wishes to achieve to support workers and conditions

The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke said: 

“The government has a strong record on strengthening workers’ rights. The ELRG will be a valuable resource in conducting ongoing assessments of employment law to ensure our legal framework is fit for purpose and adapts to changes in the evolving contemporary workplace.” 

Minister Dillon thanked the members for their commitment to the important role in reviewing and monitoring Ireland’s employment and redundancy laws to ensure they serve their intended function.

Minister of State for Small Businesses and Retail, Alan Dillon said:

“It is very important that the work of the group balance carefully the need to ensure legislation remains fit for purpose while not placing an undue or additional burden on business, in particular small and medium enterprises.”

The ELRG will work in accordance with the work programme, which will be determined by the minister after consultation with the group. During the inaugural plenary, the ELRG discussed items for this work programme as part of this consultation. The relevant legislative enactments which may be considered in the work programme are listed in the appendix below.

Following the meeting, the full membership of the Employment Law Review Group has been announced. The full membership of the group and their nominating bodies, as appointed by the minister is as follows:

  1. Michael Doherty (Chair), Nominated by Minister for ETE
  2. Cathy Smith, Nominated by Minister for ETE 
  3. Kevin Duffy, Nominated by Minister for ETE 
  4. Claire Bruton, Nominated by Minister for ETE 
  5. Desmond Ryan, Nominated by Minister for ETE 
  6. Anne Lyne, Nominated by Minister for ETE 
  7. Deirdre Malone, Nominated by Minister for ETE 
  8. Dónal Hamilton, Law Society of Ireland
  9. Mary Paula Guinness, Employment Bar Association
  10. Gavin Smith, Restructuring and Insolvency Ireland
  11. Nichola Harkin, Ibec
  12. Rachael Ryan, ICTU 
  13. John Barry, ISME 
  14. Áine Maher, DETE 
  15. Orlaith Mannion, Department of Social Protection 
  16. Jane Ann Duffy, Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
  17. Gwendolen Morgan, Workplace Relations Commission 
  18. Lorraine Williams, Chief State Solicitor's Office 
  19. Deirdre O'Kane, Office of the Attorney General 
  20. Jim Finn, Courts Service 
  21. Appointment Pending, Labour Court

The ELRG’s function is to monitor, review and advise on all aspects of employment and redundancy law, with a specific focus on promoting good workplace relations in the State, simplifying the operation of employment and redundancy law in the State, and ensuring that the State’s suite of employment rights and redundancy legislation remains relevant and fit for purpose and is updated to reflect international developments. 

The ELRG’s focus is expert, technical and legal rather than representative of stakeholders’ interests. Members will engage with the work programme of the ELRG and contribute to ELRG reports.

ENDS

 

APPENDIX – List of relevant employment and redundancy enactments

Part 1 – Acts of the Oireachtas

  1. Payment of Wages Act 1991
  2. Adoptive Leave Act 1995
  3. Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996
  4. Transnational Information and Consultation of Employees Act 1996
  5. Organisation of Working Time Act 1997
  6. Parental Leave Act 1998
  7. National Minimum Wage Act 2000
  8. Carer’s Leave Act 2001
  9. Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001
  10. Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003
  11. Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004
  12. Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts 1973 to 2005
  13. Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Act 2006
  14. Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977 to 2007
  15. Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2011
  16. Protection of Employees (Employers’ Insolvency) Acts 1984 to 2012
  17. Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012
  18. Redundancy Payments Acts 1967 to 2014
  19. Protection of Employment Acts 1977 to 2014
  20. Terms of Employment (Information) Acts 1994 to 2014
  21. Paternity Leave and Benefit Act 2016
  22. Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act 2019
  23. Sick Leave Act 2022

Part 2 – Provisions of Acts of Oireachtas

  1. Part IV of the Industrial Relations Act 1946
  2. Section 4 (1) of the Protections for Persons Reporting Child Abuse Act 1998
  3. Section 8A (5) of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2001
  4. Section 50 of the Competition Act 2002
  5. Section 60 (3) of the Employment Permits Act 2024
  6. Section 8 of the Industrial Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2004
  7. Section 55M (1) of the Health Act 2004
  8. Section 27 of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005
  9. Section 87 of the Consumer Protection Act 2007
  10. Section 26 (1) of the Chemicals Act 2008
  11. Section 62 (1) of the Charities Act 2009
  12. Section 223 (3) of the National Asset Management Agency Act 2009
  13. Section 38 of the Inland Fisheries Act 2010
  14. Section 20 (1) of the Criminal Justice Act 2011
  15. Section 67 (5) of the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011
  16. Section 35 of the Further Education and Training Act 2013
  17. Section 41 (1) of the Central Bank (Supervision and Enforcement) Act 2013
  18. Section 12 (1) of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014
  19. Part 2 of the Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015
  20. Part 3 of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023
  21. Section 6(3) of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014

Part 3 – Statutory Instruments

  1. European Communities (Parental Leave) Regulations 2000 (SI No 231 of 2000)
  2. European Communities (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2000 (SI No 488 of 2000)
  3. European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003 (SI No 131 of 2003)
  4. European Communities (Organisation of Working Time) (Activities of Doctors in Training) Regulations 2004 (SI No 494 of 2004)
  5. Organisation of Working Time (Inclusion of Transport Activities) Regulations 2004 (SI No 817 of 2004)
  6. Organisation of Working Time (Inclusion of Offshore Work) Regulations 2004 (SI No 819 of 2004)
  7. European Communities (Organisation of Working Time) (Mobile Staff in Civil Aviation) Regulations 2006 (SI No 507 of 2006)
  8. European Communities (European Public Limited - Liability Company) (Employee Involvement) Regulations 2006 (SI No 623 of 2006)
  9. European Communities (European Cooperative Society) (Employee Involvement) Regulations 2007 (SI No 259 of 2007)
  10. European Union (Cross-Border Conversions, Mergers and Divisions) Regulations 2023 (SI No 233 of 2023)
  11. European Communities (Working Conditions of Mobile Workers engaged in Interoperable Cross-border Services in the Railway Sector) Regulations 2009 (SI No 377 of 2009)
  12. European Communities (Road Transport) (Organisation of Working Time of Persons Performing Mobile Road Transport Activities) Regulations 2012 (SI No 36 of 2012)
  13. European Union (Posting of Workers) Regulations 2016 (SI No 412 of 2016)

 

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