The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has opened a regional office in Ennis, Co Clare.

Minister of State Pat Breen this morning (11 February) formally opened the Ennis Regional Services Office, saying: “This is a very important day.

"It represents the next step in the WRC plan to provide, to the greatest extent possible, the same range of services to people across the country as are available in Dublin.”

Adjudication hearings

The WRC already hosts adjudication hearings in Donegal, Mayo, Kerry, Monaghan, Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford, Louth and Meath.

“It is very important that a body like the WRC has a regional presence. The WRC is looking at ways to further improve accessibility to its services – particularly for people who, for one reason or another, find travel or dealing with certain situations particularly difficult.

“Again, this is an initiative I strongly welcome and support,” the minister said.

Ease of access

WRC director general Liam Kelly said that the location in Ennis gives ease of access to parties from Limerick and Galway East, via the M18.

Founded in 2015, by the end of September 2019, the WRC had:

• Dealt with 230,000 calls by its information unit,
• Held 5,000 conciliation conferences, with almost 90% of disputes resolved,
• Mediated 6,000 disputes or facilitated their resolution in most cases,
• Undertaken almost 21,000 inspections,
• Recovered €10 million in unpaid wages, and
• Achieved a dispute resolution median time of eight months.