Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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81. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will confirm that his Department is refusing to co-operate with a request for a referral to the LRC on the three outstanding industrial relations issues remaining regarding the purposed merger of the city and county enterprise boards into the local authority service; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that such a refusal to engage in the referral process is a breach of the Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17096/14]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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My Department recently concluded an independently-chaired Industrial Relations Facilitation process with IMPACT on a number of issues relating to the dissolution of the City and County Enterprise Boards (CEBs) and the delivery of those functions through the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs).

Following that process, my Department received a letter from the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) informing us that IMPACT has referred to them a dispute with my Department concerning the dissolution of the CEBs and the transfer of staff and their functions to Local Authorities, and inviting the Department to attend a conciliation conference between the parties concerned.

The issues in dispute by IMPACT were not specified. My Department has sought clarification as to the nature of the issues that IMPACT has now raised so that it can respond meaningfully to the invitation. That clarification is awaited.