Vol. 493 No. 3
10 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has received the report into Ryanair being carried out by persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15733/98]
19 Mr. Gilmore asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has received the reports of the inquiry team into the Ryanair dispute; if not, when she expects to receive the report; if she will publish the report; if she is considering any amendments to the Industrial Relations Act, 1990; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15782/98]
42 Mr. Yates asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has received the report into Ryanair being carried out by persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15735/98]
43 Mr. Allen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has received the report into Ryanair being carried out by persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15734/98]
67 Mr. Spring asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the report on the Ryanair trade recognition dispute will be published; and her views on the untimely delay in this publication. [15917/98]
91 Mrs. Owen asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if she has received the report into Ryanair being carried out by persons (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15751/98]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 10, 19, 42, 43, 67 and 91 together.
I expect to receive the report from the inquiry team into the dispute at Ryanair soon. This is a complex and difficult dispute and thus the inquiry team needed some considerable time to examine the issues involved. I propose to publish the report after consideration by the Government of its findings. Until I receive the report, therefore, I do not propose to make any further comment.
What does the Minister mean by "soon"? When the two people involved were asked by the Government to carry out this report, the matter was extremely urgent. While we are waiting for the publication of this report, is the Minister aware there are ongoing problems in Ryanair? We cannot tackle these until the report is published. Is the Minister aware that more of the young people who were involved in the dispute have since been let go? Is he having discussions with Ryanair while he is waiting for the report about the actions it is taking in response to the dispute?
Is the value of this exercise being undermined by the manner in which it is being carried out? Is that at the behest of the Minister and his Department or is it because the two people appointed are finding it difficult to do the job? Is it not the case that this formula was devised as the result of the intervention of the Taoiseach? The chief executive of that company is now thumbing his nose at the office at the Taoiseach. At the rate at which those two people are coming up with a formula, none of the baggage handlers will be left in Ryanair by the time they make their proposals.
They are nearly all gone.
It is absurd. Can the Minister even at this late stage give the House a date for receipt and publication of the report?
It would be appropriate to bring forward fundamental legislation on trade union recognition, to which the Minister alluded during the debate on the Bill I introduced recently.
The report will be completed in a matter of weeks. This dispute was a complex one. All industrial disputes are unpleasant. As someone who was close to this dispute, as were the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach, it was an unsavoury one. The intervention of the Taoiseach was helpful, as was the involvement of the social partners. No one underestimates the fact that it was a significant dispute.
The investigation concerns many parties apart from those directly involved in the dispute, such as Aer Rianta and other airlines. The inquiry team of Mr. Dan McAuley and Mr. Philip Flynn have also had to deal with a large volume of written submissions and documentation. I refute Deputy Rabbitte's suggestion that there is any procrastination on the part of the people involved, who are highly skilled. We will have the report in a matter of weeks.
On Deputy Broughan's question on legislation, I hope the high level group on trade union recognition will be reconvened soon. This matter will have to be discussed with the social partners. We had an extensive debate in the House on this issue. The challenge is how to modernise voluntarism in a way which reflects the concerns of the trade union movement and addresses the need to avoid damage to investment in enterprise and jobs.
Many questions have been put to the Tánaiste on foreign investment and I know the position of the Fine Gael Party and its recognition of that issue. It is important that the high level group on trade union recognition meet as soon as possible to deal with the broader issue to which Deputy Broughan referred.
Written Answers follow Adjournment Debate.
