asked the Minister for Labour if consultations were held with the Labour Court prior to recent dismissals and reappointments in the conciliation service.

9.

asked the Minister for Labour if he will make a statement on the dismissal and reappointment of the Chief Conciliation Officer of the Labour Court.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 8 and 9 together.

Among decisions taken by me in relation to the personnel of the Department was one to transfer the Director of the Industrial Relations Service of the Labour Court to a post of Assistant Secretary in the Department, and to assign to the court an officer of the same rank, both appointments to be effective from the 8th September.

No question of dismissal or reduction of rank was involved as both officers were of equal rank. Consultation, of course, took place with the court on these personnel changes.

Following representations from employer and trade union interests, I decided to rescind the decisions with effect from the 13th October.

No questions affecting the structure or membership of the court were involved.

Would the Minister say with whom the consultations were held and the date on which they were held?

The relevant section of the Act 13 (2) provides:

The Minister after consultation with the Court, with the consent of the Minister for Finance, may appoint such officers and servants of the Court as the Court thinks necessary to assist the Court in the performance of its function.

That was fully complied with.

I have got all that here as well, but the question I asked was on what date and with whom were consultations held before the appointment was made in accordance with section 13?

I think consultations took place the previous week. I would not know the exact date.

And the Minister could not care less.

I have told the Deputy that consultations took place and, if the Deputy is anxious to see the Act fully complied with, I assure him the provisions of the Act were fully complied with. Consultations took place—from memory, I think the week before.

I am not saying that the Act was not complied with and assuming it was, I would expect the Minister to be able to tell me now when consultations were held.

We are, I am afraid, having repetition of the same question.

I will find out the date for the Deputy.

And with whom they were held.

If the Deputy is worried about seeing I obey the provisions of the Act, I have obeyed them.

10.

asked the Minister for Labour if he is considering a review of the present conciliation and arbitration machinery; and if any changes have already been made in the structure of the Labour Court.

11.

asked the Minister for Labour if he met the Labour Court on request to discuss certain changes in its structure or membership.

With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 10 and 11 together.

There have been no changes made in the structure of the Labour Court during my period in office. I have completed a review of our industrial relations structures, including that of the Labour Court and its conciliation service, and I have already announced my intention to introduce amending legislation shortly.

May I ask the Minister when the new appointments will be made to the early warning system he advertised some time ago?

That is not part of the structure of the Labour Court. I would expect an expert on the legislation affecting the Labour Court, as the Deputy is, would be aware that that has nothing to do with the Labour Court.

I may be rubbing the Minister the wrong way——

The Deputy is not.

Arising out of Question No. 10—maybe the Minister has not read the question—which refers to the present conciliation and arbitration machinery, I want to know if and when the appointments the Minister advertised some time ago for the early warning system, and I believe this is relevant to Question No. 10, will be made?

I assure the Deputy that the early warning system or unit, as it is called, has nothing to do with the Labour Court. However, in answer to his question, I imagine the unit could be operational by the early months of next year. There has been a great deal of delay attaching to this.

At what point did I refer to the Labour Court? Question No. 10 reads: "To ask the Minister for Labour if he is considering a review of the present conciliation and arbitration machinery..." Surely the early warning system comes under that heading.

Conciliation and arbitration will not be a function of the early warning system or unit.

The Minister is really being childish. I shall not pursue the matter.