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Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 7 May 1997

Vol. 478 No. 7

Written Answers - Environmental Health Officers' Dispute.

Liz O'Donnell

Question:

38 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health the progress, if any, which has been made in reaching an agreement to resolve the dispute in the Eastern Health Board which has resulted in the non-inspection of food outlets, nursing homes and restaurants by environmental health officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12124/97]

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, I met with IMPACT and a delegation of Environmental Health Officers to explore whether the provision of the joint Government/ICTU statement of 15 May 1996 could usefully be applied to resolving the current impasse in the 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.
The matter was referred again to the Labour Relations Commission and a hearing was held on Thursday, 1 May 1997, at which significant progress was made.
Despite the difficult and protracted nature of this dispute, I am now confident that, with the ongoing assistance of the Labour Relations Commission, a satisfactory resolution will be achieved in the very near future.
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