asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether his attention has been drawn to the scales of remuneration for nurses in the County Monaghan Sanatorium where the head nurse receives £85, rising to £100, and the permanent nurse £65, rising to £75, the temporary nurse £90, and a casual nurse two guineas per week, plus board and lodging in each case; and whether he will make a recommendation to the local authority to increase these rates of remuneration at least to the level of those obtaining in the county home.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Monaghan Nurses' Remuneration.
asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health whether his attention has been directed to the rates of remuneration of the nurses in the Monaghan County Hospital, and whether he will make representations to the local authority that they should be increased at least to the level of the rates obtaining in the county home.
I propose to take questions 11 and 12 together. The position of nurses at the County Hospital, Monaghan, and the sanatorium is at present under consideration. So far as the county hospital is concerned, a proposal was received from the county manager on the 22nd ultimo, to grant an increase in the salary scale applicable to the nurses in the hospital, the effect of which would be to raise the maximum of the cash portion of the present scales by about £10 a year. The decision has not yet been notified to the county manager, but I may say that it will be favourable. In the case of the sanatorium nurses, no decision as to the general position of these nurses has yet been reached, but opportunity has been taken to remedy a couple of the more glaring anomalies regarding salary scales which existed in this institution. For instance, one of the nurses on the staff had a salary of £60 per annum with board and residence, while other nurses were on a scale rising to £75 a year with board and residence. I drew the attention of the county manager to the resulting anomalous position, and suggested that the nurse referred to should be placed on the same basis as the other permanent nurses. This was done, and approved by me. I also drew the attention of the manager to the inadequacy of the remuneration paid to the head nurse of the institution, which was £85 per annum with board and residence, and, as a result thereof, approval has recently been issued to the payment of remuneration to this nurse of £100 per annum with board and residence. In the meantime, as I have mentioned, the general position is being reviewed in the Department.
I wish, however, to point out that the salaries and emoluments of the nurses at the county hospital and sanatorium are not readily comparable with the remuneration paid to the nurses at the county home, as the latter do not receive rations as part of their emoluments, while the nurses at the other institutions do. The Deputy is presumably aware that most of the nurses at these institutions are in receipt of emergency bonuses in addition.
This is a case of the mountain in labour bringing forth a mouse. It is a very satisfactory reply on the whole.