Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

A civil servant refusing to perform duties as part of industrial action is considered to have a reasonable excuse for so doing. Equally, it is reasonable for the employer to stop paying the civil servant while the industrial action continues. The absence of duty line in the Bill reflects the decision of the court and means that job holders who are not carrying out their duties have some redress. The best advice we have arising from the court decision is that our terminology on the absence of duty is sufficient.

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