In February 2000 both I and officials of my Department met Ordnance Survey Ireland staff representatives to announce details of the Government decision of 25 January 2000 to draft a Bill providing for the setting up of Ordnance Survey Ireland as a State body. Another meeting was held between officials of my Department and Ordnance Survey staff representatives on 23 March 2001. Following the first meeting with the staff representatives important technical difficulties arose in the context of the drafting of the Bill which took a long time and a good deal of effort to resolve. Because there were no substantial developments to report to staff representatives during this period no meeting with them was arranged. The more recent meeting was held when these issues were settled.
During the intervening period information on the status of the Bill was regularly conveyed to staff representatives at local level within OSI. It is also the position that since the publication of the Bill the management of OSI have made arrangements through local departmental council and a series of information seminars to inform all staff on the content of the proposed legislation as well as to discuss issues arising from it.
Several issues relating to the implications of the Bill for staff of OSI were raised by their representatives and responded to by my officials and OSI management at the meeting on 23 March 2001. A formal response to these issues will be given by me shortly. I envisage that another meeting will be arranged between staff representatives and officials of my Department in the near future.
