Job tribunal delays are too long, says Bruton

The Government has acknowledged that waiting times for employment appeals and equality tribunals are unacceptably long.

The admission on the State’s labour relations machinery came from Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Minister Richard Bruton.

He made the comment after revealing that many waiting for an investigation hearing at the Equality Tribunal can be waiting more than two years, while those waiting for a hearing at the Employment Appeals Tribunal face delays of more than one year.

Currently, the average waiting time for the Employment Appeals Tribunal is 70 weeks in Dublin and 79 weeks outside Dublin. At the Equality Tribunal, the waiting time for those seeking an investigation hearing is almost two-and-a-half years, or 129 weeks.

Those seeking a mediation hearing at the Equality Tribunal are currently waiting three months, while the waiting time at the Rights Commission Service is three to four months.

Mr Bruton stated that in 2011, overall, 62% of cases referred to mediation were closed as a result of the mediation process. He confirmed the waiting time for Labour Court hearings was around 12 weeks in Dublin and six months across the rest of the country.

In a written Dáil response to Sinn Féin’s Pádraig Mac Lochlainn Mr Bruton said: “I believe it is essential that we have efficient and effective mechanisms to develop harmonious and productive workplaces and to assist employers and employees to avoid and resolve disputes.

“When I came into office in 2011, I inherited a system for resolving employment disputes that did not achieve this. The system was frustrating for employers, employees and professionals representing them.

“Notwithstanding the efforts of the employment rights adjudication bodies to reduce backlogs, I believe the delays that users of the service are experiencing are unacceptable.

“It is for these reasons I am undertaking a root and branch reform of all five workplace relations bodies. The reform programme I have commenced will deliver a world-class workplace relations structure.”

He added: “I propose to establish a two-tier workplace relations structure. From next year, two statutorily independent bodies will replace the current five.

“We will have a new single body of first instance, to be called the Workplace Relations Commission, and a separate appeals body which will effectively be an expanded Labour Court.

“All complaints will be dealt with by a single body of first instance where the aim will be to have a hearing within three months from the time the case is lodged,” the minister said.