asked the Minister for Transport and Power if he will confirm that the conditions of employment of employees at Shannon who are being asked to transfer to Aer Rianta will not be worsened.
12.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Shannon Airport Employees.
11.
asked the Minister for Transport and Power if civil servants at Shannon who opt for employment with Aer Rianta will be re-absorbed into the Civil Service in the event of redundancy arising in Aer Rianta.
With your permission a Cheann Comhairle I propose to answer Questions Nos. 11 and 12 together.
In May, 1968, it was announced that Aer Rianta would be given the responsibility for the management of Shannon and Cork Airports. The staff who were working at each airport and who opted to transfer to Aer Rianta were assured that their terms and conditions would not be worsened following such a transfer. This assurance still stands.
No redundancy is foreseen but in the very unlikely event of such occurring it would be treated on the same basis as if it arose in the Civil Service.
While I appreciate that the Minister's assurances have been given by his predecessors, the facts are that because of deductions for superannuation, the conditions of the employees who are about to transfer to Aer Rianta will be worsened financially. This is causing concern to the people involved. While the assurances have been given in the past, in practice their "take home" pay will be reduced because of deductions for superannuation for which they were not previously liable when they were civil servants.
That is so but it is not true that they will be worse off. The conditions will be the same. Everyone working in the airports for my Department was given the option of transferring to Aer Rianta and employees were assured their working conditions would not be worsened. That assurance still stands. I understand a group of people in Shannon and Cork were not satisfied with this and their associations are at present in discussion with Aer Rianta about these matters. I hope to have a result of the discussions in a matter of a few weeks.
Would the Minister consider giving these employees the opportunity of being seconded to Aer Rianta, as against being absorbed into Aer Rianta?
I do not think I have the right to give them that choice. Under the Act under which the airports authority was set up they must be transferred, they cannot be seconded.