Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I will speak about An Garda Síochána in the context of these matters. I acknowledge that some Garda associations have expressed disappointment with the decision made by the Government not to extend trade union status to them, but the Minister has made it clear that there are serious issues with national security and the special relationship that An Garda Síochána has within this State. As Senator Reilly has said, we value them. However, words are easy to say and I do not doubt the commitment of the Minister of State. Yes, we value gardaí and yes, people want to give them fair access to industrial relations, etc. but there are security of State issues, which all speakers here have acknowledged, and that is important.

What can we say about the Bill?The Bill would give An Garda Síochána access to the Labour Court and the WRC, which is positive progress that should be acknowledged. There were unprecedented threats of withdrawal of labour by An Garda Síochána in the past that were of concern to the Government. The Government took them on board and has now come back with a commitment to give members of the Garda permanent access to the WRC and the Labour Court, which must be acknowledged as a positive first step.

It is important when talking about An Garda Síochána or any other organisation with respect to industrial relations that there are strong and robust internal systems to deal with grievances. The first place grievances should be dealt with is in the workplace or organisation, and the process always needs to be improved in every organisation. I have heard of experiences and read in the media about issues in the Garda Síochána over the past number of years but these are an internal matter for the Garda Commissioner and his staff. I take this opportunity in the House to say there are industrial dispute mechanisms and resolution capacity within the Garda Síochána in the first instance. This is positive legislation and I personally commit to supporting it.