Vol. 407 No. 3
159 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Justice if he proposes to establish a special body to deal with pay and other industrial relations matters relating to the Garda force; and if he will make a statement on recent comments made by the General Secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors that the Garda conciliation and arbitration machinery is now in a straitjacket.
I do not see the need for another special body to deal with pay and other industrial relations matters relating to the Garda Síochána. Following consultations with the representative bodies for the various ranks in the Garda Síochána, the Garda Conciliation Council and the Garda Arbitration Board were established under the Garda conciliation and arbitration scheme. These fora were designed specially to deal with pay and other specified conditions of service of members of the Garda Síochána.
I am satisfied that the scheme provides adequate and effective machinery for the determination of claims relating to these matters. The scheme is similar to schemes applying else where in the public service and is not subject to any greater constraints than those other schemes. Indeed many substantial benefits in pay and other conditions have been secured under the scheme in the recent past, including two special pay increases totalling 16 per cent which are over and above the general pay increases.
