The Department of Industrial Employment Relations (DIER) has helped employees and ex-employees recover €1.6 million through the investigation of complaints in 2024, its annual report has found.
Permanent Secretary Andy Ellul said that the 2024 annual report shows that the department investigates complaints by the employed and the previously-employed resulting in the recovery of a total €1.6 million in pay. He said that the report also shows that the department assisted 43,000 persons with the government determined not only to protect workers but also seeing to help employers.
"The publication of the annual DIER report confirms that 2024 was a year in which we continued to improve the workers' conditions," Ellul said. He said that the report sheds light on the results of recent reforms and new laws, amongst them the regulations on temping agencies and work-life balance initiatives.
Ellul said that these laws led the DIER to increase enforcement to ensure that the conditions of the workers are upheld. He went on to point out that with regards the sector for digital platform workers, such as food couriers, the workers are being given the conditions and rights they deserve such as minimum wage and sick leave entitlement.
Ellul highlighted the new unit within the DIER that was set up to assist work agencies whilst carrying out "rigorous" due diligence on applicants. He said that the number of licensed work agencies drastically decreased compared to the amount of agencies prior to regulations coming into force. He added that the 2024 DIER report shows that 145 licences were issued that year with 104 them given to temping and outsourcing agencies whilst 9 applications were rejected.