Minister welcomes youth employment protection fines

Labour Affairs Minister Tony Killeen has welcomed the outcome of court hearings in which four employers were prosecuted for breaches of the Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act.

The four received fines in excess of €20,000.

Among breaches detected by the Labour Inspectorate were young persons working excessive hours. In another breach of the Act, a person under 16 worked for 11 hours in one day, four more than the legal maximum of seven hours.

Minister Killeen said: “These cases, along with recent similar prosecutions, highlight for employers that breaches of this legislation will not be tolerated.”