Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The State agency boards understand Government policy and are working to proceed with and implement it, as is the case with Departments of State. The Labour Court suggested that the matter should go back to an appropriate central body but did not specify what body that should be. I believe that my Department, together with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, as the responsible line Department, will have a role to play in any negotiations.

The decentralisation implementation group does not have a role to play in this matter. It is leading the decentralisation programme but is not itself involved in the detailed industrial relations matters arising in the context of decentralisation. These are handled through the existing industrial relations structures in place within Departments. Those are the people who can help work with and join the negotiations in——

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