Deputy Bertie Ahern has been given permission to put on Private Notice a question to the Minister for Labour.
Private Notice Questions (Resumed). - Threatened Central Bank Strike.
asked the Minister for Labour if, in view of the serious consequences which such a strike would have for the national economy, he will state, as a matter of urgency, the steps he proposes to take so as to avoid the threatened strike next weekend of 450 staff in the Central Bank.
The position is that a dispute on a claim has arisen and the union involved made a claim for a 15 per cent increase for the 24th round. An offer of 3 per cent with a seven months' pause in accordance with Government pay guidelines was made and that offer was rejected. Strike notice has been served and is due to expire on Friday. Discussions have taken place and have continued during the week, but have not so far been successful. I hope very much, in view of the serious consequences alluded to by Deputy Ahern, that the parties will come together again in order to try to reach a settlement. A Labour Court industrial relations officer is standing by.
Let me ask the Minister of State what the Government are doing to make sure that this strike does not happen. What are they going to do today, tomorrow and on Friday?
The policy and approach of the Minister for Labour in regard to industrial relations disputes, actual or threatened, has been made clear in the House on a number of occasions and he has asserted clearly and explained why his policy is not to intervene in the merits of industrial disputes. His and the Government's policy is to see that the appropriate machinery is available to the parties and in good order. The machinery is available to the parties and I urge them to use it.
Early this morning we had a discussion about the interest rates and the problems that arise therefrom. We have also the problem that is hanging over us about the trustee savings banks and although there have been denials outside the House nobody appears to believe the Minister for Finance. I do not think this is any ordinary strike. We are talking about the Central Bank which governs all the financial institutions of the State. I am not sure if we can sit around and follow normal industrial relations procedures. Will the Minister tell the House clearly what action is being taken and when, and if no action is to be taken will he tell the House that?
I have indicated precisely what the Government's responsibilities and obligations are in this and any other industrial dispute. Their obligations are to ensure that the State's industrial machinery is available to the parties. It is available in this case.
From what the Minister has said I take it that the Government do not intend to take any action in regard to this matter.
The Chair disallowed my Private Notice Question in regard to the prospect of a strike of producers in RTE.
I hope I am not going to have a harangue about this matter.
I should like permission to raise this matter on the Adjournment.
I will communicate with the Deputy.
I should like to draw the attention of the Chair to the fact that this morning I raised the question of the impending rise in bank interest rates and the enormously serious implications these have for the economy in general, householders and those with mortgages. The Chair will be aware that it was suggested that the Whips would get together to discuss whether the House could have an opportunity to discuss this matter. As of now nothing has happened in that regard.
I cannot allow a speech. I disallowed the question.
I am not making a speech but drawing the attention of the Chair to this. The Chair may not know the sequence of events.
This is not the place to draw my attention to this.
I am afraid it is. I resorted to the perfectly legitimate device of putting down a Private Notice Question. In my view this matter falls completely within the ambit of the rules for Private Notice Questions. The Chair, apparently, decided from his interpretation to rule out that question. I should like to suggest to the Chair that this places me, and my party, in a very detrimental position. Here we have a matter of very urgent public importance, of far-reaching implications and neither by getting Government time nor by Private Notice Question am I, or any Member on this side of the House, allowed to raise it here and have it discussed in the interest of the general public concerned.
The Deputy put down a question on Private Notice about interest rates after raising the matter in the House this morning. The Deputy may have one view about that and I may have another but, unfortunately, fortunately or otherwise, I am the Member appointed by the rest of the House to make decisions on matters like this. I do not claim to be infallible but I claim to make these decisions to the best of my ability. I had research carried out into the matter this morning with a view to coming to a decision on whether the question was allowable on Private Notice or not. Great consideration was given to this and I came to a decision clearly and without doubt that the question did not qualify for Private Notice and there was no way I could allow it. I am not going to have a discussion about this.
We are not going to have a discussion and I have no alternative but to accept the ruling of the Chair. However, I am sure the Chair will grant me the right to put points to him in regard to his ruling?
That means, in the Deputy's own immortal words, wrangling with the Chair and that is not nice.
Nothing could be further from my mind. I should like to make the point that it is not just a question of a Private Notice Question being ruled out. It is a question of my having raised this on the Order of Business and the Taoiseach undertaking that it will be discussed by the Whips. That is also involved. It is not even just a matter of bank interest rates. It seems to me that there is a whole series of things happening, a rise in bank rates, a run on certain banks, the Agricultural Credit Corporation calling in loans; all these things can be traced to the psychological state of public opinion arising from the liquidation of Irish Shipping.
I am not going to allow this to continue. The Deputy may not persist.
A bankrupt Government. That is the tragedy and the public know it. Get out.
God help the Opposition.