asked the Minister for Labour the number of proceedings undertaken by his Department under Section 10 (1) of the Unfair Dismissals Act, 1977; the case reference; the cost and identity of each case; and the decision of the Circuit Court.

The number of cases submitted to my Department with a view to possible institution of proceedings under section 10 (1) of the Unfair Dismissals Act, 1977, is 242. However, a number of these would have been settled by direct approaches to employers without recourse to legal proceedings. The precise number and details of cases in which proceedings were instituted could only be ascertained by a protracted investigation of records of individual cases in my Department and in the offices of the Chief State Solicitor and Local State Solicitors. The cost and time involved in such investigation would not be warranted. Likewise, in regard to the Circuit Court, decisions in individual cases would necessitate extensive examination of court records.