Vol. 415 No. 8
39 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health if he will clarify the provision that has been made in his 1992 spending plans for (1) the back moneys owed to consultants (2) the special award due to nurses and (3) the entitlement to increments for part-time and long-term temporary nurses; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
In the course of a meeting with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on 17 January 1992 the Minister for Finance outlined the Government's commitment to pay the balance of special pay increases due under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress with full retrospection to the dates on which the outstanding phases were due to be paid.
In relation to the specific categories of staff referred to by the Deputy, the position is that provision is being made in 1992 to pay outstanding back moneys due to consultant medical staff under the revised common contract. I am to have discussions with my colleague, the Minister for Finance, on the manner and the method by which these payments are to be made.
Provision is also being made to implement, with effect from 1 December 1992, the special pay award due to nurses. In the case of nurses, their pay rates will, in accordance with the statement of 17 January by the Minister for Finance, be increased on 1 December 1992 to the levels which would have been payable under previously agreed phasing arrangements. The measures announced by the Minister for Finance are presently being considered by the Public Service Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
Claims for incremental credit for part-time and temporary nurses are currently in process and pending their resolution, I do not wish to comment on these cases.
Does the Minister not consider it somewhat unfair that one category of medical staff is to have back pay guaranteed and another category must wait until the end of the year before a payment will be made? Does he not consider that that may depress the morale of staff who expected equal treatment?
On 5 May 1989 the Review Body on Higher Remuneration were asked to examine the report on the remuneration of consultant medical staff. The review body reported on 15 June 1990. At a meeting held on 21 June 1990 the Government approved the publication of the report and authorised the Minister for Health to arrange discussions with hospital consultants on the basis recommended. A revised contract, and an accompanying memorandum of agreement, were prepared and submitted to the representatives of the consultants, both the IMO and the IHCA, once Government approval for the implementation of that contract had been obtained. The vast majority of consultants have now signed the revised contract. They received the moneys due in respect of revised salaries. However, the arrears were to be paid last July but the Government asked consultants that the payment be deferred until this year.
Is it not the case that the nurses' arbitration award predated that of the consultants and that the initiation of the nurses' case also predated the consultants' case?
I am not sure which case was initiated first. Proposals involving deferral of the second and third phases of the nurses' increase were put to the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on 17 January 1992. The Government now propose to pay that increase with effect from 1 December 1992. There has been no objection from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in regard to the special pay for nurses. I do not know when the original agreement for back payment to nurses was made or when it was examined.
