Alex White (Dublin South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for the positive remarks at the outset of his contribution and for wishing the exercise success, which all Members desire. The framework agreement I signed was with the IMO. The IMO has been the primary representative body of general practitioners in the State. For that reason, it is proposed to continue that relationship. It is not a relationship in the traditional industrial relations sense which exists between employers and employees. However, it is an important relationship and one which has been in place for many years. It is appropriate that it should continue. Therefore, we had the so-called "talks about talks" with the IMO and have now reached the stage of substantive talks.

The IMO's response to the draft contract that we published in January this year is well known. Its concerns about the nature of the engagement that was being proposed were expressed publicly and repeatedly. We have to a very considerable extent resolved those concerns and the IMO has co-signed the agreement. In fairness to the IMO, as well as expressing its concerns at the time, it made a substantive submission on the contents of the draft contract. Leaving aside the Irish College of General Practitioners, which is the professional body, the IMO was the only organisation that made a submission of substance on the draft contract, albeit objecting to much of its content. At least it engaged at that stage with a submission of substance which can form part of its deliberations with the HSE. That is the basis on which we intend pursuing the matter.

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