asked the Minister for Health whether he has received a request from the CEO, Eastern Health Board, to sanction a proposal to grant conditions of pay, emoluments and allowances to the widowed members of the permanent nursing psychiatric staff equal to those held by their male widower colleagues on the staff; and, if so, if he will sanction the proposal as soon as possible.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Nursing Psychiatric Staff.
3.
The answer is "no". I have been informed that the chief executive officer group of the County and City Managers Association have recommended to their members that widowed psychiatric nurses reappointed in the psychiatric nursing service be granted a marriage allowance in addition to their salary as in the case of married male psychiatric nurses. My Department are in correspondence with the chief executive officer group in regard to certain aspects of this recommendation which will require to be clarified before I can indicate to the group what my decision on the implementation of the recommendation would be.