Phil Hogan
Question:256 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will make a statement on the latest negotiations on the implementation of the strategy for better local government. [6265/00]
Written Answers. - Local Government Strategy.
I assume that the Deputy is referring to the discussions between the Local Government Management Services Board, representing local authority management, and the unions representing local authority administrative and technical staff on management proposals for strengthening local authority management and staffing structures, the implementation of which is one element in the Government's programme for renewing the local government system.
After almost three years of negotiations, final management proposals for the new structures, were formally put to the staff side on 19 October 1999. Following ballots, the proposals were accepted by IMPACT, representing the clerical-administrative side but rejected by SIPTU, representing the engineering side, who referred the matter to the Labour Relations Commission, LRC. At a meeting involving all the parties in the LRC on 8 February 2000, SIPTU was requested by the LRC to put its case in writing. It has done so in the past few days and management will now be invited to respond.