asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will state whether it is his intention to introduce legislation at an early date dealing with the administration of mental hospitals, including rates of pay and conditions of service of the attendants employed in such institutions; whether he has indicated to county managers or to representatives of mental hospital attendants that it is his intention to introduce new salary scales or to sanction new scales if submitted to him; and, if so, whether he will indicate the terms of such new scales, including the valuation placed on emoluments.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Mental Hospital Administration.
As stated in reply to a question on the 26th ultimo, the matter is receiving active consideration. The proposed Bill will not deal with rates of pay and conditions of service. These are matters which may be determined from time to time under the Local Government Act, 1941. The remuneration of mental hospital attendants was one of the subjects discussed on 4th January last when I received a deputation representing attendants in mental hospitals, accompanied by Mr. Thomas Kennedy, General President of the Irish Transport and General Workers' Union. On that occasion representations were made to me as to the inadequate remuneration paid to some of the mental hospital staffs and the discrepancies in the initial rates of pay and the scales in the several institutions. I outlined to the members of that deputation the scales of salaries and allowances, including valuation of allowances, which, if acceptable to the employees concerned, and adopted by mental hospital authorities, would secure uniform conditions of remuneration. There was subsequent correspondence for the purpose of clarifying details, and it appears that a further discussion with the representatives of the attendants will be necessary.
On 19th January, 1944, I received a further deputation of representatives of the attendant and nursing staff of the Grangegorman and Portrane Mental Hospitals accompanied by Deputies Larkin, Senior and Junior, when certain matters affecting the employees concerned were discussed. The representations made were fully considered and appropriate action was taken on specific matters raised at the interview.