asked the Minister for Local Government if a decision has yet been made on the request made to him by the Federation of Rural Workers to determine whether the temporary rates staff of local authorities are officers or servants; and if he will state the dates on which (a) the application was made, and (b) the decision was given.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Temporary Rates Staff of Local Authority.
24.
No decision has yet been given on the request of the Federation of Rural Workers for a determination of the status of the temporary rates clerks of the Tipperary (NR) County Council. The request was submitted on 10th April, 1963.
Would the Minister not agree that there is an undue delay in dealing with this matter? It is something on which the Department should be able to say "yes" or "no" without any difficulty.
The trouble is that we have to go back to various people interested on the two sides and find out what they have to say about what the other said. We have been doing that. It is now, in fact, with our legal people who are considering all the bits of information that have been gleaned.
Will the Minister not agree that what anybody has said does not matter but that he should give to the people concerned the legal interpretation of whether or not——
Which would be Deputy Tully's interpretation.
Which I would hope is my interpretation.
That is what we are trying to ascertain—which is the correct one.