asked the Minister for Health if steps will be taken to grant to qualified radiographers, recruited by local authority hospitals, increments on their salaries related to their previous experience and qualifications.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Salaries of Radiographers.
32.
The long-standing general practice in the local authority service is that a new appointee is remunerated at the minimum of the appropriate salary scale. While in response to acute shortages of trained personnel, departures from the general practice have been authorised sparingly for certain grades, so that a new appointee with previous experience could enter the appropriate salary scale at a higher point than the minimum, I do not think I would be justified in extending this concession to the radiographer grade.
Is the Minister aware that the trend in recent years has been towards a reduction in the number of people who are qualifying as radiographers? Would he agree that this might possibly build up difficulties for local authority hospitals and having regard to this would he decide that now is the opportune time to provide that radiographers recruited into local authority service will be given increments in respect of the service and experience they already have?
That position has not developed yet. I have to deal with the present time. The Deputy is asking me to anticipate a shortage in a few years' time——
To close the door before the horse bolts.
Yes. I should not like to depart from the idea of having a scale. I would prefer it to be approached on the basis of improving the scale. I should not like to depart from the scale as suggested in the question.
The Minister will be good enough to keep an eye on the situation?
Yes, we have an eye on it.