Vol. 496 No. 4
79 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Defence if he will provide a timetable for the conclusion of discussions with RACO and PDFORRA regarding the establishment of a new forum to facilitate partnership between his Department and these organisations. [22979/98]
The representative associations for the Permanent Defence Forces, RACO and PDFORRA operate under a conciliation and arbitration scheme. This scheme and its enabling legislation and regulations provide the mechanism through which consultations with the associations are carried out. The C & A scheme also provides a means for both sides to discuss issues which are of importance to them and to arrive at mutually acceptable resolutions.
C & A schemes have traditionally been adversarial in nature and did not lend themselves easily to the management of change. In this regard, discussions with both RACO and PDFORRA on a revised scheme of conciliation and arbitration for members of the Permanent Defence Forces have now come to a conclusion. New arrangements which will provide a more transparent and realistic system, in keeping with modern industrial relations thinking, will place greater emphasis on negotiation rather than adjudication to resolve issues. These arrangements are, of course, consistent with the Defence (Amendment) Act, 1990.
The Partnership 2000 for Inclusion, Employment and Competitiveness advocates building more open, co-operative processes on existing arrangements. The terms of Partnership 2000 have recently been accepted by both associations. The provision of a forum to complement the C& A structure and at which issues such as the implications of the reorganisation of the Defence Forces can be raised is under examination at present. Consideration is also being given to partnership structures for RACO and PDFORRA and I do not want to pre-empt the outcome of that process. In general, however, I believe that employment relationships can be very much improved by an acceptance by both sides that substantial support of each other is necessary to make progress. Both sides must also accept that each has a legitimate role and interest in the organisation. Such steps should lead to higher levels of mutual respect for, and trust in, each others positions.
