Written Answers. - Parliamentary Debates - Houses of the Oireachtas

Questions— 14 February 2012. Written Answers
matter and could leave Ireland exposed to damages arising from legal actions based on noncompliance
as well as proceedings by the European Commission.
A public consultation was held by my Department last July in relation to the wording of a
proposed Statutory Instrument amending Section 40 of the Copyright and Related Rights Act
2000. More than 50 submissions were received from interested parties. I am most grateful to
all who contributed to this consultation. It provided me with an excellent overview of all the
issues and concerns involved. I have also engaged extensively with stakeholders with a wide
range of views in relation to any issues or concerns that have been raised in relation to the
matter.
Under the proposed legislative measure, an order may be sought by copyright holders only
in relation to their own works. Any order against an intermediary will be subject to a judicial
process. This must involve due consideration of the rights of other persons likely to be affected,
such as internet service providers and consumers. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the
European Union, which has the same status as a Treaty when implementing EU law, must be
considered. The Court of Justice of the European Union has held that this must be interpreted
in a way which allows a fair balance to be struck between the various fundamental rights
protected by the Community legal order and the principle of proportionality. These rights
include the right to intellectual property, the important and fundamental human right of protection
of private data, the equally important human right of freedom of expression and information
and also the right to conduct a business. The amended text of the proposed Statutory
Instrument was recently published by my Department and it should also be noted that this
matter was the subject of a Dail debate on 31st January 2012.
Departmental Staff
286. Deputy Patrick Nulty asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the
number of labour inspectors employed by him and the National Employment Rights Authority;
and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7602/12]
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton): NERA currently has
in place a complement of sixty-one inspectors. Five of these inspectors are assigned other duties
in addition to inspection duties.
In 2011, the Inspection Service completed almost six thousand cases and recovered almost
two million euro in unpaid wages for employees.
Jobs Initiative
287. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he
will support a matter (details supplied). [7688/12]
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton): The Action Plan for
Jobs, which I launched yesterday, outlines the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and
create jobs. The plan will improve access to finance for small businesses, reduce costs and red
tape, and improve supports for exports, management and innovation. There are a number of
actions contained in the plan specifically directed at indigenous industry, including construction.
Without doubt, the construction sector in Ireland has witnessed a dramatic decline in recent
years. However, under the Plan, there are opportunities for the sector both domestically and
in overseas markets. For example, Government investment in infrastructure under the Capital
Programme will directly support in the region of 30,000 jobs in construction in the period to
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