andMr. McAuliffe asked the Minister for Local Government the reason for the delay in sanctioning the arbitration awards, some of which were made in May, 1968, to officials of the Cork County Council.

The Government announced recently their decision to set up a review body to advise them on remuneration in the upper ranges in the public sector. The Government have decided that, pending the receipt and consideration of the review body's recommendations, decisions on findings resulting from the processing of claims, including awards already made but not implemented, will be deferred. I have postponed, therefore, my decision on proposals of local authorities, including Cork County Council, to apply the revised salaries recommended by the Chairman of the Local Authorities Arbitration Board for the grade of county accountant and for engineering and allied grades.

In the meantime, however, I have notified the local authorities concerned that the general "11th round" increase of 9 per cent may be paid to the grades in question.

Surely the Minister will appreciate that anything which tends to weaken any type of arbitration machinery operating in the country does an injury to that machinery? Does he not agree that this review coming when the award was already made does not do any good?

The review body will advise on this.

Surely the Minister's review body should have gone into operation before the award was made? Does the Minister not realise that the fact that the award is not being honoured is doing a lot of harm?

There has been no decision to honour it. It has been deferred.

Surely you honour it or not?

Question No. 16.

This is an important question. The Minister says it has not been dishonoured. You either honour it or you dishonour it. I bet the Minister for Agriculture is anxious to answer that.

The decision on it has been deferred. No decision has been made.

The award was made.

It cannot be dishonoured unless the decision is made.

The Minister is sitting on the fence and letting his legs dangle.

His feet are on the ground.

Question No. 16 withdrawn.

Question Nos. 17, 18 and 19 postponed.