Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

My response is that that is not the recommendation of the Labour Court, which we need to implement in full. The membership has once again received an assurance from the Labour Court that no involuntary transfers are envisaged and that those who do not wish to be transferred should be offered some alternative career options. The same Labour Court recommendation also states that there is a need to engage generally to see how we can move this issue forward.

As regards the Deputy's second point concerning the specialised nature of work, I understand there are specific challenges in this area, which is why we should have an engagement. Non-engagement achieves nothing, particularly for the 1,000 employees of those agencies who wish to relocate, not simply to other State agencies or the same State agencies but who are available to Civil Service organisations as well. The idea that there is a homogenous group of people who cannot be transferred is incorrect. I agree that there has never before been a culture of inter-transferability within State agencies, and there was not before there was decentralisation in the Civil Service either. That is the challenge. The experience of those who have relocated and transferred to other organisations is that it has been a good move to the benefit of everyone concerned. I have not heard anybody suggest otherwise. Rather than take the approach of non-co-operation, given that we have a recommendation, best industrial practice now dictates that we should proceed to an engagement on the issues.

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