Vol. 426 No. 1
65 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Finance the proposals, if any, he has to augment the redundancy offers made to Leinster House secretarial staff; the proposals, if any, he has for their redeployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I have decided to accept the proposals of the Labour Court in relation to the severance pay for secretarial assistant staff who have been employed by individual Deputies or by political parties whose employment is ceasing as a result of recent changes in the composition of both Houses of the Oireachtas. This will involve an increase from two-and-a-half to four weeks' pay per year of service subject to a minimum of eight weeks pay.
It has already been explained, in the course of discussions with the staff in question and their unions, that statutory recruitment requirements in the Civil Service, the area of the public service for which I have direct responsibility, preclude redeployment to it of secretarial assistant staff.
