asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether he has received proposals from the Carlow Mental Hospital Committee to grant an increase in the living-out allowance paid to married attendants; and if he will state whether sanction of the increase has been communicated to the committee.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Carlow Mental Hospital.
The reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The increases have not been approved. The committee have been notified to that effect.
Would the Parliamentary Secretary say when the committee was notified, and would he indicate on what grounds he purported to inform the Carlow Mental Hospital Committee that they cannot revise the rates of remuneration paid to their employees?
I cannot tell the Deputy just now the date on which the committee was notified, but if he so desires I shall supply him with the information later on. The increases were refused on the grounds that, in present circumstances, the remuneration was considered reasonably adequate.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware of the fact that, according to statistics published by the Department of Industry and Commerce, the cost of living has increased by 20 per cent. over the past 12 months; that the Carlow Mental Hospital Committee in this case granted an increase in the living allowances of only 10 per cent. to married attendants; and in view of the fact that the cost of living has increased by 20 per cent., will he say why he considers it equitable to refuse an increase of 10 per cent.?
At the time that these salaries and cash allowances were fixed the cost of living was substantially higher than it is to-day.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary not aware that if these allowances were adequate, or considered adequate, when the cost-of-living index figure was 173, they would obviously be inadequate when it has risen to 206?
These salaries and wages were fixed when the cost-of-living figure was 230.