Government will give gardaí trade union recognition

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has repeated the Government’s commitment to allow gardaí trade union recognition.

He told the Dáil on Wednesday the resolution of the pay issue with gardaí included a commitment to legislative change to give the Garda associations the right of access to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Labour Court before the end of this year.

“That commitment stands and will be followed through,’’ he added.

The heads of the Bill had been approved by the Government which had noted some very significant issues would fall to be considered, he said.

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These included the status of the Garda associations and the related question of the constraints on members of taking industrial action.

He said a working group would report on the issue at the end of the month.

The Taoiseach was replying to Labour leader Brendan Howlin who said allowing gardaí and the Defence Forces to affiliate to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) would be a welcome step in giving them full access to the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court.

Making them full partners rather than merely attendees at public sector pay talks would even be more important, Mr Howlin added.