Tribunal delays 'costing country millions'

Unjustifiable delays by the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) are costing the country millions, an employment lawyer claimed yesterday.

Naas-based solicitor Liam Moloney said a massive growth in employment disputes had led to a huge backlog of cases waiting to be heard by the EAT.

He called for the incoming government to reform the tribunal’s procedures to ensure speedier resolution of employment claims.

“It’s taking the three-person tribunal up to five months in hundreds of cases to deliver a decision,” Mr Moloney said.

He said more than 10,000 employment disputes had been referred to the tribunal last year which was an increase from only 3,500 in 2007.

“More than half of these cases have to be heard by the EAT,” he said.

Mr Moloney said the current waiting time for cases to be heard was in excess of 52 weeks and decision making often took up to another four months.

“These cases should be fast tracked and dealt with far more speedily,” he said. “The delays are costing the economy millions through longer social welfare payments.”

He said the delay in hearing cases and delivering prompt decisions was totally unacceptable.

Judges in the mainstream courts had to make decisions every day “on the hoof” and there was no reason why the tribunal should not be forced into making prompt decisions if not on the same day.

Mr Moloney said that most of the cases appearing before the EAT involved issues of fact and there was no good reason for delays of four and five months before written decisions were issued.

“The growing waiting lists are adding to the stress of all parties who cannot move on until the cases are determined,” he said.

“The waiting lists make a mockery of the EAT’s own mission statement of providing a speedy means for the adjudication of disputes.”