National Asset Management Agency Act 2009
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SCHEDULE 2 Redress for Contravention of section 223 (3) | ||
Complaints to rights commissioner | ||
1. (1) An employee may present a complaint to a rights commissioner that his or her employer has contravened section 223 (3) in relation to the employee. | ||
(2) Where a complaint under subparagraph 1 is made, the rights commissioner shall— | ||
(a) give the parties an opportunity to be heard by the commissioner and to present to the commissioner any evidence relevant to the complaint, | ||
(b) give a decision in writing in relation to it, and | ||
(c) communicate the decision to the parties. | ||
(3) A decision of a rights commissioner under subparagraph (2) shall do one or more of the following: | ||
(a) declare that the complaint was or, as the case may be, was not well founded; | ||
(b) require the employer to take a specified course of action; | ||
(c) require the employer to pay to the employee compensation of such amount (if any) as is just and equitable having regard to all the circumstances. | ||
(4) The references in subparagraph (3) to an employer shall be construed, in a case where ownership of the business of the employer changes after the contravention to which the complaint relates occurred, as references to the person who, by virtue of the change, becomes entitled to that ownership. | ||
(5) A rights commissioner shall not entertain a complaint under this paragraph if it is presented to him or her after the expiration of the period of 6 months beginning on the date of the contravention to which the complaint relates. | ||
(6) Notwithstanding subparagraph (5), a rights commissioner may entertain a complaint under this paragraph presented to him or her after the expiration of the period referred to in subparagraph (5) (but not later than 6 months after such expiration) if he or she is satisfied that the failure to present the complaint within that period was due to reasonable cause. | ||
(7) A complaint shall be presented by giving notice of it in writing to a rights commissioner and the notice shall contain such particulars and be in such form as may be specified from time to time by the Minister. | ||
(8) A copy of a notice under subparagraph (7) shall be given to the other party concerned by the rights commissioner concerned. | ||
(9) Proceedings under this paragraph before a rights commissioner shall be conducted otherwise than in public. | ||
(10) A rights commissioner shall furnish the Labour Court with a copy of each decision given by the commissioner under subparagraph (2). | ||
Appeals from decisions of rights commissioner | ||
2. (1) A party concerned may appeal to the Labour Court from a decision of a rights commissioner under paragraph 1 and, if the party does so, the Labour Court— | ||
(a) shall give the parties an opportunity to be heard by it and to present to it any evidence relevant to the appeal, | ||
(b) shall make a determination in writing in relation to the appeal affirming, varying or setting aside the decision, and | ||
(c) shall communicate the determination to the parties. | ||
(2) An appeal under this paragraph shall be initiated by the party concerned giving within 6 weeks (or such greater period as the Court may determine in the particular circumstances) from the date on which the decision to which it relates was communicated to the party, a notice in writing to the Labour Court containing such particulars as are determined by the Labour Court under subparagraph (4) and stating the intention of the party concerned to appeal against the decision. | ||
(3) A copy of a notice under subparagraph (2) shall be given by the Labour Court to any other party concerned as soon as practicable after the receipt of the notice by the Labour Court. | ||
(4) The Labour Court shall determine the following matters, or the procedures to be followed in relation to them: | ||
(a) the procedure in relation to all matters concerning the initiation and the hearing by the Labour Court of appeals under this paragraph; | ||
(b) the times and places of hearings of such appeals; | ||
(c) the representation of the parties to such appeals; | ||
(d) the publication and notification of determinations of the Labour Court; | ||
(e) the particulars to be contained in a notice under subparagraph (2); | ||
(f) any matters consequential on, or incidental to, the foregoing matters. | ||
(5) The Minister may, at the request of the Labour Court, refer a question of law arising in proceedings before it under this paragraph to the High Court for its determination. The determination of the High Court in relation to such a question shall be final and conclusive. | ||
(6) A party to proceedings before the Labour Court under this paragraph may appeal to the High Court from a determination of the Labour Court on a point of law. The determination of the High Court on such an appeal shall be final and conclusive. | ||
Paragraphs 1 and 2: supplemental provisions | ||
3. (1) Section 39(17) of the Redundancy Payments Act 1967 shall apply in relation to proceedings before the Labour Court under paragraph 2 as it applies to matters referred to the Employment Appeals Tribunal under that section with— | ||
(a) the substitution in that provision of references to the Labour Court for references to the Tribunal, and | ||
(b) the substitution in paragraph (e) of that provision of “€3,000” for “£150”. | ||
(2) Where a decision of a rights commissioner in relation to a complaint under this Schedule has not been carried out by the employer concerned in accordance with its terms, the time for bringing an appeal against the decision has expired and no such appeal has been brought, the employee concerned may bring the complaint before the Labour Court and the Labour Court shall, without hearing the employer concerned or any evidence (other than in relation to the matters aforesaid), make a determination to the like effect as the decision. | ||
(3) The bringing of a complaint before the Labour Court under subparagraph (2) shall be effected by giving to the Labour Court a written notice containing such particulars (if any) as may be determined by the Labour Court. | ||
(4) The Labour Court shall publish, in a manner it considers appropriate, particulars of any determination made by it under subparagraph (4)(a), (b), (c), (e) and (f) of paragraph 2 (not being a determination in relation to a particular appeal under that paragraph) and subparagraph (3). | ||
Enforcement of determinations of Labour Court | ||
4. (1) If an employer fails to carry out a determination of the Labour Court in relation to a complaint under paragraph 1 in accordance with its terms within 6 weeks from the date on which the determination is communicated to the parties, the Circuit Court shall, on application to it in that behalf by— | ||
(a) the employee concerned, | ||
(b) with the consent of the employee, any trade union of which the employee is a member, or | ||
(c) the Minister, if the Minister considers it appropriate to make the application having regard to all the circumstances, | ||
without hearing the employer or any evidence (other than in relation to the matters aforesaid), make an order directing the employer to carry out the determination in accordance with its terms. | ||
(2) The reference in subparagraph (1) to a determination of the Labour Court is a reference to a determination in relation to which, at the expiration of the time for bringing an appeal against it, no such appeal has been brought or, if such an appeal has been brought it has been abandoned and the references to the date on which the determination is communicated to the parties shall, in a case where such an appeal is abandoned, be read as references to the date of such abandonment. | ||
(3) In an order under this paragraph providing for the payment of compensation, the Circuit Court may, if in all the circumstances it considers it appropriate to do so, direct the employer concerned to pay to the employee concerned interest on the compensation at the rate referred to in section 22 of the Courts Act 1981 , in respect of the whole or any part of the period beginning 6 weeks after the date on which the determination of the Labour Court is communicated to the parties and ending on the date of the order. | ||
(4) An application under this paragraph shall be made to the Circuit Court sitting in the Circuit in which is situated the place of work (within the meaning of the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005 ) at which the employee is normally employed by the employer. | ||
Provisions relating to winding up and bankruptcy | ||
5. (1) There shall be included among the debts which, under section 285 of the Companies Act 1963 (as amended by section 10 of the Companies (Amendment) Act 1982 and section 134 of the Companies Act 1990 ) are, in the distribution of the assets of a company being wound up, to be paid in priority to all other debts, all compensation payable by virtue of a decision under paragraph 1(2)(b) or a determination under paragraph 2(1) by the company to an employee, and that Act shall have effect accordingly. Formal proof of the debts to which priority is given under this subparagraph shall not be required except in cases where it may otherwise be provided by rules made under that Act. | ||
(2) There shall be included among the debts which, under section 81 of the Bankruptcy Act 1988 are, in the distribution of the property of a bankrupt or arranging debtor, to be paid in priority to all other debts, all compensation payable by virtue of a decision under paragraph 1(2)(b) or a determination under paragraph 2(1) by the bankrupt or arranging debtor, as the case may be, to an employee, and that Act shall have effect accordingly. Formal proof of the debts to which priority is given under this subparagraph shall not be required except in cases where it may otherwise be provided under that Act. |