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Workplace Relations Commission

WRC Logo smallThe Workplace Relations Commission (WRC)  is an independent, statutory body which was established on 1st October 2015 under the Workplace Relations Act 2015 (No. 16 of 2015).

It assumes the roles and functions previously carried out by the National Employment Rights Authority (NERA), Equality Tribunal (ET), Labour Relations Commission (LRC), Rights Commissioners Service (RCS), and the first-instance (Complaints and Referrals) functions of the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT).

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has responsibility for

  • promoting the improvement of workplace relations, and maintenance of good workplace relations,
  • promoting and encouraging compliance with relevant enactments, 
  • providing guidance in relation to compliance with codes of practice approved under Section 20 of the Workplace Relations Act 2015, 
  • conducting reviews of, and monitor developments as respects, workplace relations, 
  • conducting or commissioning research into matters pertaining to workplace relations, 
  • providing advice, information and the findings of research conducted by the Commission to joint labour committees and joint industrial councils, 
  • advising and apprising the Minister in relation to the application of, and compliance with, relevant enactments, and 
  • providing information to members of the public in relation to employment

The Commission’s core services include the inspection of employment rights compliance, the provision of information, the processing of employment agency and protection of young persons (employment) licences and the provision of mediation, conciliation, facilitation and advisory services.

The Commission has a board consisting of a chairperson and 8 ordinary members appointed by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The following is a list of current Board Members of the Workplace Relations Commission

Chair
Dr David Begg
Members
Mr Stephen Driver, Head of Advocacy, Ibec
Ms Judith Fitzgerald, Legal Counsel, Eli Lilly and Company
Ms Sinead Gogan, Chief Human Resources Officer, Deloitte Ireland
Mr George Maybury, former Trade Union General Secretary
Mr Brendan McGinty, Managing Partner at Stratis Consulting
Mr Barry O Brien, Director of Human Resources, UCC
Ms Virginija Petrauskaite, Employment, Immigration/Asylum Law Solicitor
Ms Ethel Buckley, Deputy General Secretary SIPTU