asked the Minister for Health whether, in view of the necessity for increasing the number of domestic staff employed in the County Hospital, Roscommon, he will sanction the scheme which has been submitted to his Department by the local authority.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Roscommon County Hospital Staff.
Examination of the proposals submitted reveals that the full increase in personnel proposed by the local authority would not be warranted at present. Sanction will issue shortly for an appropriate increase but the matter will be reviewed by the local authority at a later stage.
Does that mean that, in the near future, the local authority will be in a position to take on at least some extra domestic staff? At present the members of the domestic staff are working 80 hours a week, andmore. The council has been anxious for a long time to employ extra domestic staff.
The point is that I think the Department and the local authority, on a review of the position, have come to an agreement for the moment anyway.
Is there not a general adjustment of hours and of working conditions in operation throughout the country for local authority staffs at present?
Of working conditions, yes, but this is hours of duty.