Jim Higgins
Question:236 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the pay increase approved for Circuit Court criers in 1994 has not been paid. [17254/00]
Vol. 521 No. 4
236 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the pay increase approved for Circuit Court criers in 1994 has not been paid. [17254/00]
237 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of meetings which have taken place in 1999 and to date between his Department and officers of FUGE with regard to the approved pay increase awarded to Circuit Court criers in 1994. [17255/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together.
The position is that in 1997 an offer under the PCW, of revised pay scales, retrospective to 1994, was issued to FUGE. This offer was not accepted by the union and the matter was referred to arbitration under the terms of the PCW.
Officials of my Department and the Department of Finance met with FUGE at an adjudication hearing on 24 May 1999. The report of the adjudication board issued in August 1999. Subsequently, a meeting was held on 17 September 1999 at the request of FUGE to discuss the adjudication board's recommendations.