Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

This is an issue about which there was much concern and discussion given the events of last year. It is one of the many complex issues that will have to be considered carefully. It is critical that we have effective and robust mechanisms in place for industrial relations in An Garda Síochána. The question of a trade union is one of the key issues but there are a number of other issues we must consider. Trade union status gives rise not just to a series of protections for such organisations but also to a series of constraints. The task for the months ahead is to look carefully at what would be appropriate in a policing context. That is what the working group has been established to consider, given the changed status in regard to An Garda Síochána's access to the Workplace Relations Commission and to the Labour Court. I certainly want to have consultations. It is also a big societal issue; it is a broader issue than for An Garda Síochána alone. It is a crucial issue in terms of the safety and protection of our society.

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