asked the Minister for Defence whether his Department employ wardsmaids under conditions which do not prevail in non-military hospitals; and if he will now agree to sanction service pay for wardsmaids in military hospitals in accordance with the scales authorised by the Minister for Health.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Wardsmaids in Military Hospitals.
47.
It is the practice of my Department to employ civilians generally, including wardsmaids, under the prevailing local conditions, as appropriate. On foot of a claim for service pay, my Department recently authorised payment of 7/- a week, effective from 1st November, 1967, to wardsmaids employed at Cork Military Hospital who had not less than three years' continuous service on that date. The trade union concerned has rejected this settlement and the question is still under consideration.
Will the Minister not agree that local hospitals are paying more to wardsmaids than is paid to wardsmaids in military hospitals?
The union has made a specific claim in connection with this matter. The Department offered a certain figure. It is difficult to know whether there is any great variation, in the long run, between the two. The matter is now being considered on the basis of the letter that has come from the union.
A comparison is being made with local conditions. The union is seeking the same rates for wardsmaids in military hospitals as those prevailing for wardsmaids in non-military hospitals in the same area. Surely this is logical?
I know what the union wants. I also know that the general practice of the Department is to pay prevailing rates for similar employment locally.
This is similar employment.
The matter is being considered.
It is an obvious mistake.