Seanad Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 7 Dec 2004

Vol. 178 No. 23

Adjournment Debate.

Decentralisation Programme.

Mr. Wilson

The announcement in December 2003 of the Government's decentralisation programme provided a significant boost to the entire country. We in County Cavan were delighted that our county town, Cavan town, was one of the seven towns selected for one of the main Departments. The news of the reallocation of the headquarters of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to Cavan town was welcomed by my colleagues on Cavan County Council and Cavan Town Council and was a major confidence boost to the town and county of Cavan and surrounding counties. I take this opportunity to pay tribute to my Oireachtas colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Brendan Smith, the late county manager, Brian Johnston, and his officials, and Mr. Vincent Reynolds, chief executive officer, Cavan County Development Board, for their tremendous efforts in promoting Cavan town as a suitable location for decentralisation.

I am aware that a number of suitable sites for the location of the headquarters of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources have been examined. I am most anxious that a decision be made and a site selected to allow us progress in regard to the relocation of the Department to Cavan town as soon as possible. I ask the Minister of State to make contact with the Office of Public Works and get an immediate decision on the choice of site in the town. The county manager, and all his senior officials, are anxious to work as closely as possible with the Office of Public Works to facilitate the acquisition of a suitable site. Progress can and should be made without further delay.

I welcome the recent letter to the Minister of State, Deputy Smith, and myself from the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, reiterating the Government's commitment to the earliest possible implementation of its full decentralisation programme. I urge the Minister of State to make contact with the Office of Public Works so that a site can be acquired and we can get on with relocating over 400 civil servants to Cavan town as soon as possible.

Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. B. Lenihan)

I thank Senator Wilson for raising the issue regarding Cavan town and its hinterland. I am pleased to address the House this evening about the Government's decentralisation programme, with particular regard to Cavan.

I wish to start by reiterating the Government's full commitment to the decentralisation programme. I assure the Senator that the Office of Public Works, is, as a matter of priority, moving forward proposals to finalise the acquisition of a suitable site for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in Cavan town. As I am sure the Senator knows well, the Office of Public Works is pressing ahead with the procurement of suitable sites for all the locations involved in the decentralisation programme.

As the Senator is no doubt aware, following the request for proposals for suitable sites or buildings, the OPW received in excess of 700 responses from landowners and developers throughout the country. These proposals were evaluated in a three-stranded framework as follows: first, an initial architectural assessment by the OPW architects; second, a valuation process of sites and buildings short-listed by the architects, undertaken by both the OPW and private sector valuers; and, third, an assessment by reference to the business needs and staff requirements of each decentralising Department or agency.

In regard to Cavan town, I can confirm that the OPW is very close to reaching a final decision on the best site option for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. The OPW received in the order of 20 proposals for the town. A number of these proposals have been short-listed by the OPW architects and valuation reports have been completed on the land options concerned.

Also, the OPW is working with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources on a detailed assessment of the business needs and technical requirements of the accommodation needed to meet the brief, with particular regard to the specialised requirements of the Geological Survey of Ireland.

In the meantime, the OPW has opened negotiations with a number of landowners in the town. Once the fine-tuning of the Department's space requirement is completed, the OPW will purchase the site that best meets the Department's brief in keeping with the standards for the selection set out in the first decentralisation implementation group report.

The main factors that will influence the OPW's decision on a site in Cavan are as follows: first, location, proximity to commercial, leisure and public facilities; second, size — the site must be capable of accommodating all of the Department's requirement for offices, support space, technical space and car-parking; third, value for money; fourth, appropriate zoning for development; and, fifth, access to a good quality road network and public transport.

I am glad to say that the decentralisation of the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources headquarters will involve the transfer of some 388 positions to Cavan. To date, 176 persons have expressed an interest in transferring to Cavan through the central applications facility. I have no doubt that the number of applications for Cavan will increase as soon as the site purchase is completed and the indicative timetable for development of the site is published.

I can confirm that the acquisition of a suitable site for the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources in Cavan is being pursued and will be finalised as soon as possible. I am aware of the great interest Senator Wilson has shown in this topic and I assure him that his representations in this matter, which are ongoing, will be heeded and the matter progressed as quickly as possible.

Driving Licences.

Mr. Browne

I apologise to the House for my absence. I got caught out in terms of the time.

A constituent of mine served in the Garda for 30 years. During that time he would have driven over 100,000 miles on Garda motorcycles; that is a conservative estimate. When he retired, with a distinguished record in the Garda Síochána, he maintained his love for and interest in motorcycling. On applying for a licence as an individual, however, he was dismayed to learn that having served 30 years or more in the Garda Síochána, and having driven so many miles with a perfect record, he would have to apply for a provisional driving licence. As a result, he could not ride a motorbike with an engine over a certain cc. Basically, he was being treated like a 17 year old.

I understand this is the position in many other counties but a little common sense should be applied in this regard. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone involved in the emergency services, be it the fire service, the Garda Síochána or the ambulance service. In unique cases such as those involving a retired member of the force who, while a member of the force, is entitled to use any motor vehicle but, on retiring with a perfect record, is asked to apply for a provisional licence, the Minister and the Government should show some latitude in granting such persons a full licence. They should not be forced to apply for a provisional driving licence and to resit the test. That is insulting to them. I hope the Minister will use common sense in examining the relevant legislation with a view to introducing a short amendment. The Road Traffic Bill is before the Houses and perhaps there is an opportunity in that Bill to deal with the problem. If not, perhaps it could be dealt with in this House. I am sure many of the Minister's own constituents may fall under the same remit. I ask the Minister to examine this issue and look forward to his reply.

Mr. B. Lenihan

On behalf of the Minister for Transport, the Minister is not aware of the difficulty that may have arisen from the current driver licensing arrangements that apply to former members of the Garda Síochána. The Road Traffic Act 1961 requires that a person must hold a driving licence in order to drive a mechanically propelled vehicle in a public place. In order to obtain a driving licence the Road Traffic (Licensing of Drivers) Regulations 1999 require that documentation accompanying an application to a licensing authority for a driving licence must include a certificate of competency to drive. Normally, such a certificate is obtained when a person successfully undergoes the driving test. In the case of a former member of the Garda Síochána, such a certificate of competency is not required to be submitted with an application for a driving licence, in certain circumstances.

An application for a driving licence from a former member of the Garda Síochána does not require a certificate of competency arising from the successful completion of the driving test, where the applicant is a person who, as a member of the Garda Síochána within a period of five years prior to the date of the application, held a certificate issued by or on behalf of the Assistant Commissioner, training, in the Garda Síochána to drive vehicles of the category to which the application relates and whose application is accompanied by a certificate by or on behalf of the said Assistant Commissioner that the person is competent to drive vehicles of that category. I assume if the person to whom Senator Browne referred made an appropriate application to the Assistant Commissioner, if he had experience in the relevant category, he would receive it. However, as his exclusive experience was in the area of motorcycles and that might have created a difficulty in his particular case.

The application for a driving licence must be made to the licensing authority in whose functional area the person ordinarily resides. It is a matter for the appropriate licensing authority to determine the eligibility of a person for a driving licence and to issue licences.

The Minister is not aware of any particular problem in regard to the processing of driving licence applications in respect of former members of the Garda Síochána who hold valid certificates issued by or on behalf of the Assistant Commissioner, training, by licensing authorities. If there are problems about which the Senator is aware, perhaps he could forward the relevant details to the Minister for Transport.

Mr. Browne

I will forward the reply to the retired garda and I accept the comments made by the Minister of State. The difficulty in this case may be that the garda's certificate of competency did not issue before he retired. Many gardaí may not think of that before they retire.

Mr. B. Lenihan

The Minister would be delighted to address the issue if the Senator adverts to him.

Industrial Relations Issues.

Mr. Feighan

I welcome the Minister of State to the House to discuss this important matter. I call on the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to outline the actions he proposes to take to resolve the impending postal dispute. Thousands of members of the Communications Workers Union will protest outside Leinster House tomorrow.

This is a serious issue. There will be a strike tomorrow and the postal service will come to a standstill, which will create serious difficulty for the elderly, social welfare recipients, small businesses and people who want to send Christmas cards. The Minister should intervene in the dispute as quickly possible, although I acknowledge work is going on behind the scenes.

The board of An Post decided in July to close the SDS division. The CWU has asked for a stay on the closure because its financial consultants examined the rationale behind the decision and found that SDS revenue should be higher and, consequently, its losses should be reduced. They want a stay on the closure until an independent party has been brought in to review the decision. I am concerned that the rural delivery postal network will be destroyed. It is a tremendous service and I am afraid it will be undermined.

The Government has intervened on a number of occasions in disputes at CIE and Bus Éireann. European law does not allow governments to support postal services but the British Government has invested more than £300 million in its rural postal network. A two-tier postal service is not needed but the Minister, An Post management and the unions must come together to address this serious issue. The Government cannot intervene per se but the Minister is working behind the scenes and I wish him well. The Government should find some way to provide funding.

The non-payment of a national pay agreement increase to the CWU workers is a sticking point. Everybody in the company is in it together and I cannot believe the workers have been overlooked for this payment. I hope this will be resolved as soon as possible.

Minister of State at the Department of Transport (Mr. Callely)

I thank the Senator for raising this serious issue. Mechanisms are available and, hopefully, everybody will sign up to resolving the issues involved. The postal sector has changed significantly in recent years following liberalisation of the European postal market and the movement of postal operators from national into international markets. Along with the increased competition arising from the liberalisation of the market, An Post also faces the challenge of falling mail volumes and competition from electronic substitution. It is important that An Post should be structured towards the newly emerging competitive market with high quality services and meeting customer needs the priority objectives of the company. With full liberalisation of the sector a possibility by 2009, the company must begin preparations in order to ensure that An Post continues to be a strong player in the domestic postal market.

In these circumstances and following the heavy and unsustainable losses of €43 million in 2003, the restructuring of An Post is essential if the company is to return to financial stability and to continue to provide customer focused services and sustainable employment for its staff, which all of us wish to see. The recovery strategy approved by the board in October 2003 sets out the basis on which the company, in partnership with the trades unions, can move forward. To progress the required restructuring, the management of An Post has been involved for several months in a dynamic negotiating process with the company's unions, including the Communications Workers Union, under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission.

Proposals on restructuring, brokered under the auspices of the LRC, have been put to An Post employees and the result of this ballot is expected this week. Regarding the closure of SDS, both parties have agreed that unresolved issues will be dealt with under talks chaired by Mr. Peter Cassells and that process is continuing.

An Post and the CWU have agreed on Christmas delivery arrangements in a deal brokered by the Labour Relations Commission which covers overtime, casual workers, extra deliveries and so on. Specific local difficulties with the agreed Christmas arrangements which arose in Galway were resolved earlier at the LRC.

With regard to the general industrial relations unrest, the CWU has obtained a mandate for strike action from its membership. The first manifestation of this action is a one-day strike scheduled for tomorrow. An Post anticipates that there will be no postal deliveries and that company post offices will be closed. The extensive sub-post office network will remain open. Arrangements have been put in place for social welfare recipients to ensure minimum disruption during the stoppage.

As the Senator stated, the deep seated problems of An Post will not be resolved by strike action. The only way forward is for both sides to communicate and to use the industrial relations machinery of the State to tackle outstanding issues and, hopefully, resolve them to satisfaction. The critically important objective of restructuring the company remains an imperative. All parties have agreed that change in the company is necessary if it is to be financially viable and positioned to meet the competitive challenges that can be expected to intensify during the months and years ahead.

I urge members of the union, together with management, to work through the established industrial relations procedures to resolve remaining areas of disagreement. Negotiations between the parties concerned provide a superior basis on which to solve the problems in An Post compared to strike action which, at the end of the day, solves nothing.

An Post customers and the community at large are entitled to a postal service, especially at Christmas, and I hope all parties involved will ensure no further disruption of postal deliveries takes place. I hope that is helpful.

The Seanad adjourned at 8.50 p.m. until10.30 a.m. on Wednesday, 8 December 2004.