Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 575: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the reason for the delay in sanctioning the payment by Dublin Institute of Technology of certain payments due to TUI members following the acceptance by the union of the terms of the latest pay agreement in respect of certain categories of staff employed by the DIT. [17444/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Payment of the increases due under the Towards 2016 Agreement is dependent, in the case of each sector, organisation and grade, on verification of co-operation with flexibility and change, including co-operation with satisfactory implementation of the agenda for modernisation set out in the Agreement, maintenance of stable industrial relations and absence of industrial action in respect of any matters covered by the Agreement. Implementation of the modernisation agenda, requires in the first instance, that the parties to the agreement agree an Action Plan in accordance with the terms of the Agreement. The Action Plan sets out the timetable and actions required for implementation of the modernisation agenda and was agreed by all unions in the Institute of Technology sector other than the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) in early December 2006. As the TUI failed to agree the action plan until 8th March 2007 they did not satisfy the terms of the agreement until that date. In addition this failure prevented progress on a specific commitment agreed under Towards 2016 to review and revise arrangements for the scheduling of apprenticeship blocks by January 2007.

In the circumstances the decision of the Secretary General was that payment of the increase due w.e.f. 1st December 2006 was warranted to members of the TUI from the 8th March 2007 only, i.e. the date that co-operation with the terms of the Agreement was restored. This decision was subsequently endorsed by the Education Sector Performance Verification Group.

The TUI have referred the matter to the dispute resolution mechanisms available under the Towards 2016 Agreement.