Jim Higgins
Ceist:236 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the pay increase approved for Circuit Court criers in 1994 has not been paid. [17254/00]
Written Answers. - Court Staff.
Jim Higgins
Ceist:237 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of meetings which have taken place in 1999 and to date between his Department and officers of FUGE with regard to the approved pay increase awarded to Circuit Court criers in 1994. [17255/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 237 together.
The position is that in 1997 an offer under the PCW, of revised pay scales, retrospective to 1994, was issued to FUGE. This offer was not accepted by the union and the matter was referred to arbitration under the terms of the PCW.
Officials of my Department and the Department of Finance met with FUGE at an adjudication hearing on 24 May 1999. The report of the adjudication board issued in August 1999. Subsequently, a meeting was held on 17 September 1999 at the request of FUGE to discuss the adjudication board's recommendations.
The adjudication findings allowed for a further assessment in the light of possible changes to court crier duties arising from the establishment of the Courts Service. The Deputy will be aware that since 9 November 1999 responsibility for the management and administration of the courts have been transferred to the Courts Service Board. The chief executive officer, with the agreement of the union, has initiated a process of examining the duties and role of the court crier by the establishment of a working group. However, these matters cannot progress until such time as the PCW adjudication findings are put to rest. Informal contact has been maintained between courts service management and FUGE at all times since January of this year.