Ten-month delays at the Employment Appeals Tribunal are undermining workers' rights, it was claimed today.
Employment Minister Micheal Martin said in a reply to a Dail question that the average waiting time to appear before the EAT in 2005 was 41 weeks.
It is currently measured at 37 weeks this year.
Sinn Fein TD Arthur Morgan, who tabled the question, called on the minister to investigate the delays and allocate enough staff and resources to process cases quicker.
He said: "These waiting periods are totally unacceptable. It undermines employment law and workers' rights. There is little point making workers aware of their rights if the bodies set up to adjudicate on their claims take almost a year to deal with their case.
"This will undoubtedly deter workers from bringing cases and vindicating their rights."
According to the minister's reply the average waiting time was just 19 weeks in 2001 and 2002 but this had increased to 28 in 2003, 39 in 2004 and 41 in 2005.
The average waiting period to date this year is 37 weeks.