Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 6 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 4

Written Answers. - Industrial Action.

Joe Sherlock

Question:

84 Mr. Sherlock asked the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the recent motion unanimously passed at the annual conference of PDFORRA in favour of the right to strike for members of the Defence Forces; if it is intended to amend legislation to provide for this right; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20494/02]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

The Minister for Defence believes that an amendment to the Defence Act, to allow the provisions of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990, to apply to members of the Defence Forces would be wholly inappropriate. The Minister is aware that PDFORRA has placed a certain stress on the concept of the soldier as a "citizen in uniform" with the implication that the soldier's conditions of employment should largely replicate conditions in the civilian world. However, in a professional military organisation, this approach is simply not practical and this is widely recognised internationally. When an individual decides to join the Defence Forces, he or she voluntarily accepts a range of obligations and responsibilities which does not normally arise in the course of civilian employment. Taking any form of industrial action is irreconcilable with military service.

The Minister is satisfied that the mechanisms available to the representative association through the Defence Forces' conciliation and arbitration scheme, with its access to facilitation and arbitration and parallel discussion during national pay talks, provide a framework within which issues of concern can and should be addressed. It should be noted that members of the Defence Forces have been offered and have accepted the terms of all recent national pay agreements.