Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What I am saying is that I will not be found wanting, depending on the Labour Court outcome. We have to hear what it has to say. These people, as the Deputy knows, are set up in such a way that they are not employees of my Department. That probably emanates from voluntary boards many years ago. That is the way it is, so we have to go through the process. The Labour Court will make its finding, and I assure the Deputy that, whatever that is, I will not be found wanting in trying to resolve the issue. I agree with the Deputy that people should get a fair day's pay for a fair day's work and that nobody should be left behind. What I said was that if a request for an increased budget provision is formally submitted to my Department following the Labour Court process, my officials will consider it carefully and engage with colleagues in the Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform with a view to determining if a Supplementary Estimate can be provided. Neither the CIB nor my Department was made aware of the request. My understanding is that it was a non-binding WRC process. Since then, SIPTU and the CIS employers' group attended the WRC again in February. Following that, the matter was referred to the Labour Court and a date was set in June. We have to let the process play out.

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