Shane Cassells (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The 999 service in Ireland operates from two towns, namely, Navan and Ballyshannon. The ECAS service as it is known, the emergency call answering service, is provided under State contract by BT Ireland. In the last year and a half, the workers in Navan and Ballyshannon joined the Communications Workers Union to try to improve their workplace conditions across a number of areas. I have met them, as has the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, who has come to Navan. Unfortunately, the better treatment they are seeking through the CWU has not been forthcoming because they will not be recognised by BT Ireland. As a result of this non-recognition by BT Ireland, the workers conducted a ballot for industrial action. Remember the seriousness of this. This is our 999 emergency call service operating 24 hours a day. The workers have now balloted for industrial action with 82% of the CWU members working in this service endorsing that action. They informed the company of this and, rather than taking any action that is mandated by the ballot, they referred the dispute to the Workplace Relations Commission in order to act responsibly and avoid any disruption to this vital public service. Unfortunately, BT Ireland has refused to attend the WRC hearing. The workers want to know how a company delivering a State contract can simply ignore an invite from the WRC, the industrial relations machinery of the State, when these people felt they had no choice but to ballot for industrial action.

I ask the Deputy Leader's good office to write to the Minister for communications and ask why a company that is delivering such a vital State service is refusing to attend the WRC. If those workers in the 999 service decide to go on strike, we will have a very serious issue in this country and everybody will be in here roaring and shouting. I ask the House and the Deputy Leader to back the 999 call workers in Navan and Ballyshannon.