§ Mr. R. RICHARDSONasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether he is aware that the rules governing the Irish Prisons Officers' Representative Council admit only of that council putting forward and explaining grievances; that the council is not consulted by the authorities when arriving at their decisions on the grievances put forward nor permitted to take any part in bringing about a settlement or redress of these grievances; will he now take steps to have the rules governing the council so amended that in future all decisions on grievances will be submitted to the council before being finally decided; and whether, in the event of failure of the authorities and the representative council to arrange the differences between them by mutual agreement, he will consent to have such differences decided by the conciliation and arbitration board for Government employees?
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§ Mr. MACPHERSONThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The Officers' Representative Council is afforded every facility for representing all grievances and discussing them with the prison authorities, and it cannot be agreed to submit the decisions thereon for prior criticism by the council. The functions of the Civil Service Arbitration Board are concerned with questions of remuneration only.