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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 24 Apr 1997

Vol. 478 No. 3

Written Answers. - Environmental Health Officers' Dispute.

Batt O'Keeffe

Question:

47 Mr. B. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health if he envisages a resolution of the environmental health officers' dispute. [11122/97]

Limerick East): IMPACT, on behalf of environmental health officers, withdrew from negotiations which were being pursued under Clause 2 (iii) — Annex 1 of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work and pursued industrial action in the form of a work-to-rule with effect from 15 January 1996.

Efforts to resolve the impasse continued on an informal basis culminating in a formal meeting under the auspices of the Local Government Staff Negotiations Board on 25 June 1996. On Wednesday 26 June 1996, I met personally with IMPACT and a delegation of environmental health officers to explore whether or not the provision of the joint Government-ICTU statement of 15 May 1996 could usefully be applied to resolving the current impasse in negotiations.

On 5 July 1996, with the assistance of a facilitator from the Labour Relations Commission, an informal meeting took place between management and the union. The meeting was of considerable assistance to both sides and as a result negotiations continued up until quite recently when IMPACT took the decision to escalate the work-to-rule.

Following renewed contact between both sides the Health Service Employers' Agency and IMPACT met on 26 March 1997 with a view to re-opening discussions. As a result the threatened escalation in the work-to-rule did not take place.

Despite the difficult and protracted nature of this dispute, I am still hopeful that a satisfactory resolution can be achieved through established procedures in the near future. The matter has been referred to the Labour Relations Commission for hearing in early May.

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