asked the Minister for Social Welfare why he is not prepared to negotiate with the Irish Medical Association and the Medical Union regarding terms of employment of proposed medical referees under the Social Welfare (Occupational Injuries) Act, 1966 in view of the fact that both organisations are legally entitled to negotiate with employers on behalf of their members.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Employment of Medical Referees.
32.
It is the long established practice in the field of staff relations in the Civil Service that representations on behalf of Civil Service grades, apart from industrial classes, should be entertained only from Staff Associations composed entirely of civil servants. The Institute of Professional Civil Servants is the staff association officially recognised as representing professional grades generally in the Civil Service, including the grade of medical referee in my Department, and it is open to that organisation to make such representations as it sees fit on behalf of the grade of medical referee.
In view of this I do not think it would be appropriate for me to enter into discussions with the Irish Medical Association or the Medical Union and I have already written to the Association, who made representations, to this effect.