Post Office Semi-State Body Proposal
Mitchell asks about a commission examining a semi-State body to run the Post Office; Faulkner expects an interim report before deciding what action to take. O'Donnell challenges whether resolution of the dispute must wait for the report and calls the existing procedures inadequate; Faulkner defends conciliation and arbitration and says the union has used them successfully before.
I should like to know if there has been any progress towards the setting up of a semi-State body to run the Post Office.
Comment on this
The Deputy is aware of the fact that a commission, set up by me, are sitting examining this matter. I hope to have an interim report within a reasonable time from that commission and, after consultation with the Government, I will then decide on the action to be taken.
Comment on this
I take it that it will be a long time before that report is furnished but I should like to know if we must stand still until then. Would the Minister agree that the procedures he referred to for negotiations are antiquated and have proved inadequate? Is he telling us that we must wait until the commission produce a report to resolve this problem?
Comment on this
It was Deputy Mitchell who raised the question of the commission. I do not agree that the scheme of conciliation and arbitration has broken down. The union involved in this dispute have utilised it successfully on many occasions. We succeeded, through conciliation and arbitration, in negotiating a settlement of an earlier dispute in the Department.