asked the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs if he will state, in expansion of his reply of 11th March, 1971, the particular difficulties encountered in amending staff rules 9 and 10 which prohibit participation in politics by all the employees of his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers (Resumed). - Departmental Staff Rules.
55.
The answer is in the negative. There is a claim relating to the staff rules in question before the Departmental Conciliation Council. It would be inappropriate for me to comment on the matter until the council have completed their consideration.
Difficulty is being experienced by virtue of the fact that this matter has been under consideration for so long now that the staff concerned must have changed about four times since the matter was first introduced. Would the Minister try to get a decision this year; before the next local elections anyway?
Would the Minister agree that, primarily, this is a political matter and that the reference he might have in relation to a specific staff relations matter would not apply in a case of this kind?
I do not think I would agree.