Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages
Seanad Éireann — 2021-07-15
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Mary Seery Kearney (FG), Nominated by the Taoiseach

I support the key point made by the Minister of State in that I believe the public reporting of WRC cases will enhance the standard of engagement and the performance of employment contracts throughout the State. We will see the repeat offenders. As I said some days ago, there are appalling cases of repeat offending. The reporting of cases will allow us to see just how innocent employees fall prey to ignorance and arrogance in some instances, and to see that the employees are right in such instances. The reporting of cases will raise the standard and expose repeated claims of ignorance as to how the law works. Ignorance is not an excuse under the law, but there are occasions on which employers are just ignorant. Some employers almost have to be brought to the WRC and have a case adjudicated upon before realising their obligations or that they really do have to make sure employees have their breaks along with many other entitlements. Reporting will lend itself to bringing about circumstances where taking a case is normal and not shameful. The people who take cases are not troublemakers. They are very normal people who are being treated unfairly or whose employer's interpretation of the law is unfair and needs to be addressed. It is for this reason they take a case. What the Minister of State proposes would be positive. I support him on that.

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Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:49:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2021-07-15