51 Mr. D'Arcy asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of employers who have to date adopted the Dignity At Work Charter recommended by the task force on the prevention of workplace bullying; and if she will provide a progress report in this regard. [3362/02]

The Dignity in the Workplace Charter originates from a recommendation of the task force on the prevention of workplace bullying.

The purpose of the charter is to facilitate the management and the staff of any and every employment in the country to make a public commitment to provide a workplace free of bullying, and to develop policies and procedures that underpin the principles and objectives of the charter.

It is important to note that the adoption of the charter is not a statutory or compulsory requirement on an employer, but is voluntary. On this basis, therefore, there is no system in place whereby employers register for the charter or where a record is maintained of the number of employers who adopt the charter.

I have, however, been informed by the Health and Safety Authority, which is the central co-ordinating State agency overseeing the implementation of the task force recommendations, that, to date, it has distributed over 16,000 copies of the charter. The authority anticipates that a high level of demand for copies of the charter will continue for the foreseeable future.