294. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment his views on a matter (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33132/26]

At the outset, I want to stress the importance of safe and fair working practices and would highlight that any concerns regarding occupational safety and health practices and procedures can be pursued directly with the Health & Safety Authority at any time.

The Government fully supports the right of any worker to join and be active in their trade union.  Employees have the right under the Constitution to form associations and trade unions.  Under Irish legislation, an employee cannot be discriminated against or dismissed because they are a member of a trade union. However, under Irish law, there is no requirement for an employer to recognise trade unions for the purposes of collective bargaining.

Ireland’s industrial relations system has traditionally been based on a voluntarist model, where collective bargaining is encouraged but not generally compelled by law. In practice, this means the State does not direct a private employer to recognise a particular union. However, there are well-established dispute-resolution mechanisms, provided by the state, available through the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Labour Court, to aid the settlement of industrial relations disputes, including processes designed to address pay and conditions disputes. In this regard, I can assure you that the State’s institutions are available to support a meaningful and effective resolution of issues between workers and employers.

In parallel, Governments adhering to the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct - and Ireland is an adherent - are required to set up a National Contact Point (NCP) to promote the Guidelines and to address complaints made under the Guidelines (these are referred to as “specific instances”). The Ireland NCP is a standalone Unit in my Department and I understand that the NCP concluded this case in 2025 and recommended that the parties continue to engage outside the NCP process to address the unresolved issues. Complaints handled by the NCP are addressed through a non-judicial grievance mechanism which offers parties a means to resolve issues typically through mediation. Information on complaints received by the Ireland NCP are available on its webpage: https://enterprise.gov.ie/en/what-we-do/trade-investment/oecd-guidelines-ncp/specific-instances/

Alongside existing mechanisms, my Department published Ireland's Action Plan to Promote Collective Bargaining in November 2025. Implementation is well underway and is overseen by a technical sub-group of LEEF, the Labour Employer Economic Forum. The publication of Ireland's Action Plan marks a significant step in promoting good collective bargaining practices and expanding coverage, in line with the EU Directive on Adequate Minimum Wages.

The foregoing are the mechanisms by which outstanding industrial relations issues can be addressed.