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Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 20 Dec 1950

Vol. 39 No. 4

Conciliation and Arbitration Machinery for Primary Teachers—Motion.

I move:—

That Seanad Éireann is of opinion that conciliation and arbitration machinery should be established for teachers engaged in primary schools.

When I put down this motion on the Order Paper several months ago, I prepared at some length the arguments which I intended to put forward to induce the Seanad to adopt it. I made extracts from speeches made by Ministers in the last Government and by Ministers in the present Government when they were in opposition, especially when the Industrial Relations Act was going through the Dáil. That is the Act which set up the Labour Court. On that occasion, the former Minister for Industry and Commerce stated that if and when an arbitration scheme was set up for the Civil Service it would be difficult to argue against setting up a similar scheme for the teachers. We know that a scheme has been set up in the meantime for the Civil Service, and is now in operation. I know also that, since this motion was put down, the present Minister has made statements on more than one occasion to the effect that he was prepared to set up machinery for arbitration. It is within my knowledge that the Minister is engaged at the present time in constructing that machinery. I will say to the Seanad, therefore, that it is not necessary for me to go into the details that I would otherwise have to enter on in arguing the case and in putting forward arguments in favour of the claim that arbitration machinery should be set up. It is obvious that the Seanad can only agree, as I hope it will, that the motion should be passed in the general form in which it is, and that the actual details of the machinery must be a matter for discussion between the Minister and the teachers' representatives. We could not do that, and I do not propose that we should. In view of the lateness of the hour, I shall leave it at that and ask the Seanad to agree that the motion should be passed.

In the absence of Senator Anthony, I second the motion.

I am in the last stages of arranging a scheme of conciliation and arbitration for primary teachers. I would hope to be able to consult with the representatives of the teachers as to the final details of that scheme not later than the end of January. It will be appreciated, I think, that the managers of the primary schools are the employers of the teachers, and, therefore, it is necessary for me to give the managers an opportunity of understanding my trend in this matter and, if necessary, an opportunity of discussing the matter with me. I am at the present time in the process of attending to that.

Motion put and agreed to.
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