asked the Minister for Lands why his Department refused to give a trade union (name supplied) information requested about service of its members with the Land Commission.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Trade Union Request.
27.
The request from the trade union to which the Deputy refers was for particulars of the years of service credited to each of the Land Commission gangers in County Meath. These particulars were furnished to the union on 10th April last but, in accordance with normal practice, the names of the individual gangers were not supplied.
Would the Minister not agree that it is reasonable to ask for the names of the men so that a comparison can be made in relation to the service with which each man was being credited so that he would be able to know whether he was getting credit for the correct amount of service? It is very bad labour relations for a State Department to refuse to give information which is given by every employer in the country except this particular section of the Minister's Department.
The information originally sought was not in regard to service with the Land Commission but in relation to the years of service credited to each of the gangers in County Meath. Apparently the commission took the view that it would be inappropriate to supply this information without the approval of the men concerned and that it would not be proper to do so. The Deputy apparently was annoyed about this and was in touch with the Land Commission and stated the people concerned were all members of the union.
As a result, there was consultation with the Labour Court. As a result of that consultation, the commission furnished the information as requested and this included service other than that with the Land Commission. They took the view that they would be open to criticism if they gave personal information of the kind asked for about identifiable employees.
Does the Minister now say that the Land Commission are entitled to refuse to recognise a trade union as representing a number of employee members? All other employers have given such information. the only employer who has refused being the Land Commission. Will the Minister, as the person responsible for the Land Commission, go to the gentleman concerned and tell him to have a bit of commonsense——
I do not think there was any question of not recognising the union.
Does the Minister realise that the information supplied, which gives two or three different numbers of years as being similar, is absolutely useless without the names of the people concerned, and would he not agree to go to the Land Commission and ask them to give this information?