Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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271. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the third party adjudicator for the Permanent Defence Force conciliation and arbitration scheme will be reinstated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6575/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The Conciliation & Arbitration Scheme for the Defence Forces is the primary mechanism for addressing industrial relations issues in the Defence sector. In line with the Irish model of industrial relations, it is a voluntary mechanism which provides structures for management and staff to engage on collective issues that may arise. These structures have helped to maintain positive industrial relations in the sector over a number of years.

The Scheme provides for an Arbitration process to assist in the resolution of disputes which remain unresolved following engagement and which become the subject of formal disagreement.

Under the agreed Terms of Reference of the C&A Scheme, the Adjudicator and Arbitration Board appointments are mutually agreed by both sides. While an Arbitration Board is currently in situ, the matter of the appointment of an Adjudicator remains under consideration. I understand that senior officials from both sides are in regular contact with regard to agreeing the appointment of an Adjudicator and that there have been further engagement recently in an attempt to progress this matter.