Máirín Quill
Ceist:8 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Defence when an arbitrator will be appointed for the newly introduced Conciliation and Arbitration scheme in the Defence Forces.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Defence Forces Arbitrator.
Pat Cox
Ceist:29 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Defence when an arbitrator will be appointed for the application of the representative bodies Conciliation and Arbitration scheme.
I propose to take questions Nos. 8 and 29 together.
Deputies will be aware that, arising from the Budget Statement of the Minister for Finance, in relation to public service pay, a series of meetings took place with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. Similar discussions are taking place, at official level, with the representative associations for officers and enlisted men in the Defence Forces. The discussions have covered a number of public service pay issues, including the application in the public service of the local bargaining clause of the Programme for Economic and Social Progress Pay Agreement and the appointment of an arbitrator for the purposes of the various conciliation and arbitration schemes. Since these discussions have not yet been concluded, it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on any feature of them at this juncture.