Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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617. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the North-South body, Food Safety Promotion Board, not implementing a Labour Court recommendation since 2010; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32145/14]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Both my counterpart in Northern Ireland, Minister Poots, and myself are aware of the Labour Court recommendation in question. This relates to the implementation of an FSPB-commissioned pay and grading review in 2008 which recommended the upgrading of five FSPB positions. FSPB did not seek ministerial sanction from its sponsor Departments (Department of Health and Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety) prior to commissioning this review.

Under the British-Irish Act, FSPB requires the approval of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) comprising in this context the Minister for Health and the Minister for Health Social Services and Public Safety, and of the Finance Ministers in determining the remuneration of its staff.

Implementation of the recommendations of the review, and therefore of the Labour Court recommendation, must be agreed by both jurisdictions before it can be approved by the NSMC. Notwithstanding the above, my Department can agree to the Labour Court recommendations. However, the implementation of the recommendations of the review would also require the agreement of both Minister Poots and the Minister of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland and Minister Poots has not sanctioned the implementation of the recommendations of the review.