asked the Minister for the Environment whether members of the Association of Technicians within the local authorities, of which there are approximately 100 in the country, will be given comparability with persons holding similar qualifications in the Office of Public Works, An Foras Forbartha and other semi-State boards, for the purpose of the negotiation of career structures and conditions of employment.
Written Answers. - Local Authority Technicians.
178.
In the local authority service questions relating to matters such as career structures and conditions of employment for all officers are dealt with under the conciliation and arbitration scheme for local authority and health services. Negotiations have recently been completed under the scheme on claims on behalf of both technicians and draughtsmen. An offer made to the staff side under the conciliation and arbitration scheme, in full and final settlement of all existing claims on behalf of technicians or draughtsmen, has been accepted by the staff side and arrangements are being made to implement the terms of the agreement reached at conciliation. If in the future any staff association which is a member of the staff panel of the scheme wishes to have appropriate matters dealt with under the conciliation and arbitration scheme these will be processed in the normal way. There can be no question, however, of holding separate negotiations outside the scheme with groups which are not members of the staff panel.