Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 May 2018
41. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if a case (details supplied) is the only instance during the lifetime of the Government in which the official side has refused to honour the findings of an adjudication process administered by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform; if his Department will reconsider its position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21776/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra42. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his views on correspondence sent by his Department to an organisation (details supplied) on 14 December 2016 in which it indicates its refusal to honour the arbitration outcome citing FEMPI and section 5.3 of the Lansdowne Road agreement despite the fact that these grounds for not paying the allowance were cited during the adjudication process and rejected by the adjudicator; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21778/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 41 and 42 together.
The Department of Defence has not refused to honour the findings of the adjudication process. The position is that there are a number of outstanding Adjudication findings, across the Public Service, which cannot be implemented at this time having regard to the provisions of the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act 2009-2015. This includes the adjudication on the NCO account holder allowance.
Paragraph 5.21 of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 provides that the parties will commit to entering into a process to conclude by end-September 2018 which will involve engagement in relation to an appropriate, time-bound process for addressing any outstanding adjudications, having due regard to the question of their continued validity and cost implications. The review mechanism is the subject of ongoing consideration in the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
