asked the Minister for the Public Service if he will report on the latest stage in the negotiations, if any, on the White Paper decision to impose statutory pay control throughout the commercial semi-State sector.
Written Answers. - Pay Negotiations.
47.
As indicated in the White Paper, the Government have decided to entend the application of residual control to the remaining commercial State bodies in which it does not yet have a statutory basis. Indeed, independently of the White Paper decision, residual control is being introduced, as and when legislative opportunity arises, in the case of individual commercial State bodies. With residual control, the Boards of such bodies are required to have regard to Government or nationally agreed guidelines or Government policy on remuneration and conditions of employment and to comply with any directives on these which may be issued. The concept is well-established Government policy, having been first introduced in Bord Gáis legislation in 1976. In the circumstances, negotiations, as such, do not arise in the extension of residual control to all commercial State bodies by means of a single legislative measure.