asked the Minister for Labour the number of trade unions which currently operate in Ireland; the average membership per trade union; and if he has proposals for reform in this area.

31.

asked the Minister for Labour the support he intends to offer to the restructuring of the trade union movement; and in particular, his views on whether there is a strong case for contributing to the very considerable costs that can be incurred in working towards trade union amalgamations even when the amalgamation does not in fact occur.

I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 31 together.

There are at present 66 trade unions of workers operating here which hold negotiation licences granted by the Minister for Labour. While the average membership of these unions is approximately 7,000 there are significant variations in the size of unions. Of the 66 licensed unions, three have in excess of 20,000 members, eight have between 10,000 and 20,000 members, seven have between 5,000 and 10,000 members, 19 have between 2,000 and 5,000 members, ten have between 1,000 and 2,000 members and 19 have under 1,000 members. There are a further nine worker trade unions operating here which are excepted bodies within the meaning of the Trade Union Acts and are so exempt from holding a negotiation licence. The average membership of these unions is approximately 1,800. The average membership of all worker trade unions is approximately 6,500.

The number of trade unions, including excepted bodies, has declined slowly over the years. Between 1970 and the present the number of such unions dropped from 95 to 75. The Trade Union Act, 1975, facilitates amalgamations and transfers of engagements between unions by simplifying procedures and making grants available towards the costs involved. Since the enactment of the legislation, grants amounting to £157,000 have been paid by my Department in respect of eight amalgamations or transfers of engagements. I am disappointed that more trade unions have not availed of these grants.

In accordance with the Programme for National Recovery I am at present holding discussions with the social partners about industrial relations reform. The object of this reform is to provide a better framework for collective bargaining and dispute settlement and so help to create conditions which will be conducive to employment generating investment. I believe that trade union rationalisation can make an important contribution towards improvements in our system of industrial relations at both plant and national level. In these discussions I have, therefore, put forward proposals to amend the Trade Union Act, 1971, in relation to the minimum requirements to be met for the granting of a negotiation licence. I also appreciate that considerable costs can be incurred by trade unions in contemplation of amalgamations which may not occur. This is especially true of larger unions. Therefore, I have addressed this issue in the context of industrial relations reform discussions by proposing to extend the provisions for grant payments contained in the Trade Union Act, 1975, including allowing financial assistance for expenses incurred in a bona fide attempt at amalgamation, regardless of whether the amalgamation takes place.

I welcome that.

We will now proceed to deal with the questions nominated for priority.