Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Nov 2002

Vol. 556 No. 5

Written Answers. - Departmental Staff.

John McGuinness

Question:

185 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to a complaint of bullying and harassment which was made to Dúchas over four months ago by a person (details supplied) and to the fact that an officer has still not been appointed to investigate the case despite the fact that the Civil Service code, A Positive Working Environment (7.6.3) requires that an officer be appointed within 15 days; his views on whether this is placing the individual concerned under great stress; and if he will investigate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21018/02]

John McGuinness

Question:

189 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he will reconsider his reply to Parliamentary Question No. 385 of 22 October 2002, his views on whether a person with 25 years of unblemished service, within weeks of making a complaint about bullying, felt intimidated by a senior Dúchas official, was given verbal and written warnings and brought before a disciplinary hearing, to answer charges; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the person made the complaint in May 2002 and, under the Civil Service code of practice, an inspector should have been appointed within 15 days and has still not been; whether this person has been denied a legal right, and subjected to pressure and loss of salary; if he will appoint an external professional to conduct an inquiry into the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 185 and 189 together.

I refer to the replies to Questions No. 385 of 22 October 2002 and No. 394 of 15 October 2002. A suitably trained officer has been appointed for some time to carry out an investigation in this case, in accordance with the Civil Service code: A Positive Working Environment. Investigations of this kind must obtain and consider information from both the complainant and the person against whom the complaint is being made; following which a determination of the matter may be made. It would not be appropriate to discuss details of the present or any other case while the above process is under way.

John McGuinness

Question:

186 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if operatives are being trained to operate the computer of the stonecutting machine in Kilkenny; his views on whether training should have been given when the machine was purchased; if he accepts that the machine saves up to 85% of a stonemason's time on either single or multiple stones; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21019/02]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

The stone saw purchased for the Kilkenny depot represented the lowest cost tender received during the public procurement process. My Department's specification for the tendering process related to the capacity of the saw to handle a stated size of stone and to carry out automatically, through use of inbuilt computer aided design, the cuts that are needed in the depot; compliance with new health and safety guidelines, particularly in relation to noise levels, was also specified.

The selected saw machine has an additional feature, not required by my Department's tender specification, which would allow further stone cutting profiles to be customised through active deployment of computer aided design. This feature was not sought by my Department's specification and would be of limited use for the works currently being undertaken in the Department. Its deployment is not, therefore, a priority at present.

Training in the use of the new saw has been provided at installation stage and the machine has been in continuous use since. Overall, the acquisition of this particular saw represents a significant enhancement of the Kilkenny depot's ability to undertake specialist stone cutting, and is generating efficiencies, although these have not yet been precisely quantified.

John McGuinness

Question:

187 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if there is a grievance procedure in place in Dúchas; whether Dúchas personnel may use the grievance procedure; his views on the performance of the Dúchas personnel department in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21020/02]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Cullen)

Grievance procedures are in place in my Department and all employees have access to them. Established civil servants are covered by the grievance procedures laid down under the Department of Finance circular 11/2001. In relation to their industrial counterparts, my Department adheres to the principles and procedures for grievance and disciplinary codes, as recommended by the Labour Relations Commission in accordance with the provisions of section 42 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1990. A specific written code is not required by this legislation and the trade union representatives of the industrial employees have been satisfied with the Department's adherence to best practice principles and procedures. However it has recently been agreed at partnership level that a written code should be introduced and this is being developed.