As reported in the IRN, average waiting periods for a hearing at the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) have improved slightly from 81 weeks outside of Dublin and 77 weeks in Dublin in January 2013, to 74 weeks and 71 weeks respectively in January 2014. Contrast this to an average of 117 weeks in the Equality Tribunal.
There is however a huge variation in these timeframes with waiting times stretching from 103 weeks in Waterford, 102 weeks in Kerry and 96 weeks in Limerick, to 43 weeks in Carlow, and 45 weeks in Wicklow and Westmeath.
Minister Richard Bruton has said that the EAT hears claims in 29 locations and where the number of cases is quite small, the Tribunal waits until a sufficient number of hearings is on hand to make a visit.
In line with trying to establish a new single body system of reform (which the minister says is at drafting stage with a view to implementing in 2014) the minister has been looking for efficiencies in the EAT and is looking at revisions such as;
- Sitting longer (up to five days in some cases),
- Hearing more cases per hearing, and
- Seeking to manage the caseload to maximise efficiency.
Equality Tribunal
As mentioned the average wait time for the Equality Tribunal is significantly above that of the EAT, at 117 weeks, and Minister Bruton has said that the Equality Tribunal has recently been endeavouring to put measures in place in order to reduce the current waiting time for a hearing. These measures include;
- Increasing the individual work loads of staff and improved scheduling arrangements,
- Training more mediators,
- Increasing the number of venues, and
- Five experienced Rights Commissioners have been trained in the area of Employment Equality legislation with a view to appointing them as temporary Equality Officers.
The end result of these reforms is that employers should see quicker turnaround times for claims, with the new workplace relations body looking to have claims heard within three months of the claim being made.
