asked the Minister for Health the basis of the decision of the Hospitals Commission, etc., to raise the charges for meal and lodgings deductible from nursing salaries; and if there were prior negotiations or discussions with the trade unions concerned on this matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nurses' Salaries.
2.
The decision of the Hospitals Commission to increase the charges for the emoluments of accommodation and rations in voluntary hospitals was based on a similar decision by the County and City Managers Association in relation to local health authority hospitals, following a survey undertaken by a firm of cost accountants and consultation with the trade unions concerned.
The increased charges, which are still uneconomic, were introduced concurrently with the grant to nurses of the first phase of the 12th round. These charges had not been increased since 1964. The revised charges represent an increase of 24 per cent whereas the salary of the basic nursing grade has increased by 54 per cent during the same period. In this connection I would refer the Deputy to the Report on the Appropriation Accounts for 1966-67 in the course of which the Public Accounts Committee drew attention to the fact that charges for services provided for resident hospital staffs had not been increased in recent years although salaries and wages had increased considerably.
Would the Minister not agree that it was quite disgraceful that there was no consultation whatever between the Hospitals Commission and the trade unions concerned representing 6,500 to 7,000 nurses throughout the country in voluntary and local authority hospitals and that it was quite regrettable that nurses who had obtained increases of 30s a week, particularly student nurses, should suddenly find themselves being docked 13s per week on the basis of increased charges for so-called rations and lodgings?
The very much deserved increases in salaries of staff nurses were such as to allow for an increase in the charges made for accommodation. Further, the Managers Association had discussions with the Irish Nurses Organisation before the revised charges were introduced and this was also discussed at the Mental Hospitals Joint Industrial Council on which the ITGWU and the Workers Union of Ireland and the County and City Managers Association are represented. No discussions took place on the voluntary side as the conditions of service applicable to the local authorities' side automatically apply to the voluntary hospitals. That applied also in connection with the recent salary award obtained by the nurses under the conciliation and arbitration proceedings which also apply to the voluntary hospitals.
Surely the Minister will agree that irrespective of what the city and county managers or the local authorities generally may do, there devolves on the Hospitals Commission the responsibility of consulting with the Irish Nurses Organisation before slapping on hospital notice boards deductions of 13s a week back-dated and taken out of salary from last April without even informing the nurses that this was going to happen?
I think the nurses understand that the main negotiations took place between the Irish Nurses Organisation and two other unions in connection with the nurses working for health authorities. That has been understood.
Could the Minister say under what statute the City and County Managers Association have the authority to make the decision he referred to in the early part of his reply?
I could not say under what statute. There are so many statutes in relation to conciliation and arbitration that I cannot remember them.
Could the Minister say if they have a statutory basis for making that decision?
They undoubtedly have.