385. Deputy Sinéad Gibney asked the Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment the steps his Department has taken to advance the action plan for collective bargaining and increase the number of workers in Ireland covered by collective bargaining agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45935/26]

On 5 November 2025, I launched Ireland’s Action Plan to Promote Collective Bargaining 2026-2030, a comprehensive strategy aimed at strengthening the country’s well-established system of voluntary industrial relations, one of the first countries in the EU to prepare such a plan.

The Action Plan is an ambitious one, with 22 actions to be delivered over the lifetime of the Plan, including building a research base, building capacity and skills, and other measures to support collective bargaining.

A scoping exercise has been undertaken to identify available resources and key stakeholders to support delivery of the actions in Ireland’s Action Plan to Promote Collective Bargaining. Officials are engaging with stakeholders, including ICTU and Ibec, to build a robust evidence base to inform policy development.

The Action Plan is being actively implemented on a phased basis and includes a comprehensive monitoring framework to assess progress and impact. A mid-term review is scheduled for 2028 to ensure the Plan remains responsive to evolving labour market conditions and developments in collective bargaining.

A Technical Sub-Group of the Labour Employer Economic Forum (LEEF), comprising officials of my Department and representatives of the Social Partners, meets regularly to monitor progress with implementation. The next meeting of the group is scheduled to take place at the end of June.  Issues considered by the Group to date include research, recognition of good practice, tax breaks for workers joining unions, mediation and access.