Vol. 220 No. 7
asked the Minister for Finance the number of outstanding claims to be heard by the Civil Service Arbitration Board; whether they will be dealt with during the period of office of the present Chairman of the Arbitration Board; and, if not, if he will extend the period of office of such Chairman to permit all outstanding claims to be dealt with.
22.
asked the Minister for Finance if he is aware of the growing dissatisfaction in the Civil Service at the delays which occur between conciliation and arbitration on claims; if he will expedite the preparation of the official side's cases in all claims awaiting arbitration; the number of claims awaiting arbitration in which the official side's case has not yet been presented to the Arbitrator; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 and 22 together.
There are at present 19 claims awaiting hearing by the Civil Service Arbitration Board. I am not in a position to say whether these claims will be dealt with during the period of office of the present Chairman as this depends on such factors as the frequency with which the board can be convened and the time taken in presenting each case and arriving at a finding.
As the Deputy is aware, the Chairman is appointed by the Government, on the nomination of the Minister for Finance in agreement with the staff side of the General Council. The staff side will accordingly be consulted in advance of the expiry of the present Chairman's term of office.
It has been the practice of the Arbitration Board to deal with staff claims in the order of receipt and the official side's counterstatements are also issued in this order. Normally a number of statements of case and counterstatements are awaiting the Board's attention. This is the situation in regard to two claims at the moment; the seventeen remaining claims will similarly be dealt with in good time to enable the board to hear them when it is ready to do so. The issue at this stage of counterstatements in cases far down on the list would not hasten the hearing of pending cases.
Given the board's practice as to the order of hearings which has been agreed between the official and staff sides, I do not accept that there are justifiable grounds for dissatisfaction, particularly when regard is had to the unprecedented number of cases submitted for arbitration over the past two years and the length of time taken in the presentation of certain claims before the board.
In the event of the appointment of a new Chairman, do the outstanding claims have to be resubmitted?
No. Claims not already heard but submitted would be heard by the Chairman, when agreed upon, whoever the Chairman would be.
