Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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529. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the discussions his Department has had with IMPACT and SIPTU in relation to the possible job losses that could occur due to the proposed changes in the delivery of the social inclusion and LEADER programme; if he intends personally meeting the two unions to discuss this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22450/14]

Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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My Department, along with other Government Departments, Agencies and other statutory and non-statutory funders, has contracts with local development companies and other organisations in respect of various programmes and schemes.

Outside of contracting for such programmes, my Department has no role in the internal operations of local development companies and, therefore, does not have a role in relation to staff or employment matters, which are for the Board of the company, as the employer, to manage.

In many cases it is likely that the programmes and schemes which my Department has contracted with local development companies would represent a minority of the companies’ income.

Accordingly, and consistent with the position my Department has always held, I cannot become party to an engagement on matters affecting staff of local development companies.

However, given the agreement facilitated by the Labour Relations Commission, my Department will meet the parties on a once-off basis to brief the parties on certain policies being advanced by my Department at this point. I trust that such an engagement will help to clarify these policies to the benefit of the continued engagement between employer and staff representatives.