Protection of Employment Act 1977

Number 7 of 1977

PROTECTION OF EMPLOYMENT ACT 1977

REVISED

Updated to 14 October 2020

This Revised Act is an administrative consolidation of the Protection of Employment Act 1977. It is prepared by the Law Reform Commission in accordance with its function under the Law Reform Commission Act 1975 (3/1975) to keep the law under review and to undertake revision and consolidation of statute law.

All Acts up to and including the Regulated Professions (Health and Social Care) (Amendment) Act 2020 (16/2020), enacted 14 October 2020, and all statutory instruments up to and including the Employment Affairs and Employment Law (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 438 of 2020), made 13 October 2020, were considered in the preparation of this Revised Act.

Disclaimer: While every care has been taken in the preparation of this Revised Act, the Law Reform Commission can assume no responsibility for and give no guarantees, undertakings or warranties concerning the accuracy, completeness or up to date nature of the information provided and does not accept any liability whatsoever arising from any errors or omissions. Please notify any errors, omissions and comments by email to

revisedacts@lawreform.ie.


Number 7 of 1977


PROTECTION OF EMPLOYMENT ACT 1977

REVISED

Updated to 14 October 2020


ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS


Number 7 of 1977


PROTECTION OF EMPLOYMENT ACT 1977

REVISED

Updated to 14 October 2020


AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DIRECTIVE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES DONE AT BRUSSELS ON THE 17th DAY OF FEBRUARY, 1975, REGARDING THE APPROXIMATION OF THE LAWS OF MEMBER STATES OF THOSE COMMUNITIES RELATING TO COLLECTIVE REDUNDANCIES, AND TO PROVIDE FOR OTHER MATTERS RELATING TO THAT MATTER. [5th April, 1977]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS:

Annotations

Modifications (not altering text):

C1

Functions under collectively cited Protection of Employment Acts transferred and references construed (14.10.2020) by Employment Affairs and Employment Law (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2020 (S.I. No. 438 of 2020), arts. 2, 3(1)(a), (2) and sch., in effect as per art. 1(2), subject to transitional provisions in arts. 4-8.

2. (1) The administration and business in connection with the exercise, performance or execution of any functions transferred by Article 3 are transferred to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

(2) References to the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection contained in any Act or any instrument made under such Act and relating to any administration and business transferred by paragraph (1) shall, on and after the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

3. (1) The functions vested in the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection -

(a) by or under the Acts specified in Part 1 of the Schedule and the provisions of the Acts specified in Part 2 of the Schedule, and

...

are transferred to the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

...

(2) References to the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection contained in any Act or instrument made under such Act and relating to any functions transferred by this Article shall, on and after the commencement of this Order, be construed as references to the Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

SCHEDULE 1

PART 1

ACTS OF THE OIREACHTAS

...

Protection of Employment Acts 1977 to 2014

...

Editorial Notes:

E1

Collectively cited Protection of Employment Acts 1977 to 2014 included in definitions of “employment enactment” and “relevant enactment” (1.08.2015) by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 2 and sch. 1 part 1 item 19, S.I. No. 338 of 2015, with the following effects:

• Authorised officers or inspectors under employment enactments deemed to be appointed under Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 26(2) and subject to termination under s. 26(4).

• Powers of inspectors for purposes of relevant enactments defined in Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 27.

• Workplace Relations Commission, an inspector or an adjudication officer authorised to disclose employer’s registered number or employee’s PPSN to enable Labour Court to perform functions under relevant enactments by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015) s. 31(5).

• Power of Workplace Relations Commission and official body to disclose information to each other concerning the commission of offence under relevant enactment provided by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 32.

• Power of Workplace Relations Commission and contracting authority to disclose information to each other concerning the commission of offence under employment enactment/ relevant enactment provided by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 33.

• Powers of Minister to prosecute under relevant enactments transferred to Workplace Relations Commission and references construed by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015), s. 37.

• Functions of EAT to hear claims under employment enactments transferred to Workplace Relations Commission and references to EAT construed by Workplace Relations Act 2015 (16/2015) s. 66(1), (2).

E2

Previous affecting provision: functions under collectively cited Protection of Employment Acts 1977 to 2014 transferred and “Minister for” and “Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation” construed (1.09.2017) by Labour Affairs and Labour Law (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order 2017 (S.I. No. 361 of 2017), arts. 2, 3, 6-8, in effect as per art. 1(2), subject to transitional provisions in arts. 4, 5; superseded as per C-note above.