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Workplace Relations Commission chief will ‘work on timesavings’ after lawyer’s sharp rebuke

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Oonagh Buckley
Oonagh Buckley

The head of the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has told Irish Legal News that they will continue to work towards reducing turnaround time for cases before the WRC.

It comes after employment lawyer Richard Grogan called into question figures from the WRC’s 2017 annual report showing that 92 per cent of adjudication complaints are finalised within six months.

The figure applies only “where no requests for postponements are received and relevant submissions are received in a timely manner”.

Mr Grogan told Irish Legal News that delays in the WRC are now “so bad that the system is cracking” and likened the WRC to “something that is worse than a third-world service”, rather than the “world-class service” promised by Government ministers just two years ago.

Oonagh Buckley, director general of the WRC, said: “We will work with WRC Adjudication Officers to deliver additional timesavings, where that is both within our control and ensures fair process for both sides.

“The key reasons for delay are postponement requests, non-availability of parties and late submission of necessary information, all of which are factors external to the Workplace Relations Commission, and therefore outside our direct control.”

A government spokesperson told Irish Legal News that the WRC regularly meets with stakeholders, including representatives of the legal profession, to emphasise best practice.

In particular, the WRC said it calls on stakeholders to:

  • “Use the WRC online complaint form. Submission of paper-based complaint forms generates additional work for WRC staff, who have to manually transpose the information submitted, and can at peak times be a source of unavoidable delay in processing;

  • “Encourage parties to use the mediation service in appropriate cases, as this can resolve matters more swiftly and can lead to more satisfactory outcomes for both sides;

  • “Seek postponements only when absolutely necessary, and as early as possible to allow the WRC to back fill the vacated hearing slot;

  • “Understand their responsibility to make submissions on time and at an appropriate, not-excessive length.”

    • The spokesperson added: “The WRC works with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation closely to ensure that it is adequately resourced, in a timely way, to carry out its many functions.”

    The spokesperson also pointed out that the WRC is currently recruiting external adjudication officers through its website.

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