Vol. 431 No. 3
10 Mr. Dukes asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry if agreement has been reached on the granting of claims by Teagasc staff for a Head of Station allowance, a Head of Section allowance and a minimum number of promotions, all of which are claims approved by the Labour Relations Commission and by the Labour Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There are three Labour Court recommendations involved: payment of an allowance to two heads of centre; payment of an increased allowance to 29 heads of research departments and negotiation between Teagasc and unions to agree on appropriate number of promotions for the research staff.
These Labour Court recommendations can be implemented only with my consent and that of the Minister for Finance and would fall to be considered under the local bargaining clause of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. Discussions on the application of this clause and other issues related to the pay agreement are at present taking place between the Government and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in the context of the statement on public service pay made by the Minister for Finance in his budget speech of 24 February 1993. Pending the outcome of these discussions it is not possible to progress these matters further. The unions concerned with the Teagasc claim are parties to the terms of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress agreement as are all public service employees.
Is it not the case that the Minister for Finance has said to the unions that these claims can be met only within the context of what is available this year under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress? Is it not also the case that the Minister for Finance has told the unions that nothing is available this year under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress and that all further negotiation is nothing but a sham?
The Minister for Finance in his budget speech stated that there was absolutely no way the Government could ask taxpayers to carry any further additional pay costs for the public service in 1993. Talks are taking place under the local bargaining clause of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress and I ask the Deputy to allow that process to take place. The matter will then go back to the Department of Finance and then to the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry in due course. This issue has been sent for examination to the relevant mechanism under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress.
I want to come to the remaining priority question.
I should like to ask one very brief question.
It has to be very brief. One question remains and time is fast running out for dealing with priority questions.
Will the Minister of State agree that the staff in Teagasc are being treated the same way Brendan Behan was treated in Borstal? When he asked if he could have tobacco, he was told he could have three nones — none yesterday, none today and none tomorrow. Is the Minister now defending a most insulting approach to the staff of Teagasc which says their claims can be met under the terms of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress? By the way, there is nothing in the Programme for Economic and Social Progress this year. Will the Minister agree that it is a very poor reward for staff who have worked overtime for the past number of weeks to try to get these area aid application forms dealt with?
The Deputy is forgetting the need for brevity at this time.
That is a most insulting way to deal with those staff.
That is a fairly inflammatory description of the situation.
It is factual.
We are talking about the research staff in Teagasc rather than the advisory staff. Basically, the staff are members of congress unions. This matter is being referred to the proper section under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress and I ask the Deputy to allow that process to develop.
