14 Nov 2017, 17:48
At its meeting today the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission considered the ongoing public and media commentary in relation to bullying and harassment in organisations and were briefed on the policies in place in both the Oireachtas Service and political parties to support dignity and respect in the workplace.
In particular the Commission noted the policies that political parties have in place, as employers, to satisfy their obligations under the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Acts 2005 -2014.
The Commission agreed that all groups and parties in the Oireachtas should adopt consistent standards to promote dignity and respect for everyone in the Houses of the Oireachtas . The standards will be included in a ‘Statement of Principles’ on dignity and respect.
Oireachtas officials will now proceed in consultation with party administrators and representatives of the parliamentary groups to agree on such a Statement of Principles to be approved by the Oireachtas Commission.
ENDS/
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