asked the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries the action he proposes to take to deal with the claim by agricultural officers and technicians, for whom arbitration was deferred until such time as it clashed with the recent special pay freeze, in view of the fact that agricultural inspectors were awarded a 23 per cent salary increase at arbitration in 1973.
Written Answers. - Agricultural Officers' Claim.
53.
I am not aware of any claim by field staff and technicians in the agricultural officer grades in regard to which arbitration was deferred as suggested by the Deputy. A claim by those officers was dealt with at arbitration in 1973, but the arbitration proceedings were not deferred or delayed in any way.