asked the Minister for Health if he will state what proposals there are in regard to nurses employed in sanatoria who may become redundant owing to the closing down of or the reduction of staff in such institutions.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Redundant Nurses in Sanatoria.
The arrangements to to be made in regard to nurses employed in sanatoria who may become redundant owing to the closing down of, or the reduction of staff in, such institutions are matters to be dealt with by the local authorities concerned in accordance with the appropriate provisions of the Health Acts, 1947 to 1954, the Local Government Acts, 1925 to 1955 and the Local Government (Superannuation) Act, 1956.
In general, the position under the foregoing legislation is that if the services of a permanent nurse are no longer required following the closing of a sanatorium or a reduction in staff, the nurse is entitled to compensation for loss of office or a superannuation allowance unless she refuses to accept alternative employment offered to her, the salary and emoluments of which are not less than those hitherto enjoyed by her, and her transfer to which is held not to alter materially her position to her detriment.
A nurse aggrieved by a decision taken by the local authority in her regard has a right of appeal to me and to the Minister for Local Government, in so far as the provisions of the Superannuation Act may be concerned.
In practice I understand that hitherto it has been found possible as a general rule to provide alternative employment in local authority institutions for permanent nursing staff who have become redundant as a result of the closing down of sanatoria or of the reduction of staff in such institutions. My Department will continue to give every encouragement and assistance to local authorities to deal on these lines with any future redundancies which may arise.