(Carlow-Kilkenny): Tá mé an buíoch duit go bhfuil an deis agam an laghad seo a phlé.
I am surprised that neither the Minister for Health nor his Minister of State is present.
Adjournment Debate. - Cheshire Homes Staff Remuneration.
I am a substitute.
(Carlow-Kilkenny): I have nothing against the Minister of State but this is an indication of the way in which the matter is being treated. Last June I received a letter from the management board of St. Patrick's Cheshire Home, Tullow, County Carlow, in which it pointed out that its staff who carry out the same work as their counterparts in the health board are not in receipt of health board pay rates and are not paid for working weekends or bank holidays. The letter continued:
We have raised the matter with the South Eastern Health Board who have acknowledged that the staff have a legitimate grievance. The funding for premium pay however must come from the Department of Health.
They concluded: "We feel that our dedicated and committed staff are entitled to adequate remuneration for their work".
As we are all aware, the residents of the Cheshire Home are special and need special care and attention. For this work we need dedicated people. It is unacceptable that they are treated as second-class citizens.
On 16 June 1992 I wrote to the then Minister for Health, former Deputy O'Connell who acknowledged on 27 June 1992 that he had received my letter and said he would reply as soon as possible. As I had not heard from him I wrote to him again last September and he replied: "I wish to acknowledge receipt of your further letter and I will be in touch with you again about this matter as soon as possible". Because of the vagaries of political life whereby Ministers come and Ministers go, he disappeared. I wrote in February to his successor, Deputy Howlin, and outlined what happened when his predecessor was in office. He replied on 26 February stating that he wished to acknowledge receipt of my recent letter regarding the status of St. Patrick's Cheshire Home, Tullow, that he was having this matter looked into and that he would be in touch again as soon as possible. Two months have elapsed since I received that letter; the workers are still being treated as second class citizens and I do not think I can be accused of rushing in to make a fuss about something that is happening. I received three acknowledgements from two Ministers but nothing further has happened.
I might add that on 4 March I had a letter from the management board outlining a further development. The workers were advised by the Department of Enterprise and Employment that the matter may be referred to the office of the Chief State Solicitor to consider the institution of legal proceedings — in other words the workers should sue the board of management. The health board will not provide the money to pay the premium rates they should be getting — the Eastern Health Board is paying the staff of the Cheshire Homes in its region the standard health board rates. The Department of Enterprise and Employment, instead of contacting their colleagues and asking them to pay the standard rates, told the staff that they may sue the board of management. The board of management is a voluntary body who Sunday after Sunday raise funds for this institution. Each year £50,000 has to be raised to keep the Cheshire Home going. That home caters for people who properly should be looked after by the health board.
It is a shame that I have to raise this matter on the Adjournment, having spent 12 months trying to get it sorted out. In fairness to the Minister who is absent, he was a man of vision and eloquence who showed great concern when in Opposition. I would hate to think that he would have lost any of those qualities since going into Government. The buck stops at his desk and rather than have civil servants looking into space and telling me that the Minister will come back to me as soon as possible — which is never — I would like to be assured that there will be concrete action to ensure that justice is done to the workers who are giving of their time to look after those in the Cheshire Home in Tullow.
I would like to apologise for my colleague, the Minister for Health, Deputy Howlin, who cannot be present to take the Adjournment because he has an important appointment elsewhere. He asked me to reply for him.
The Minister for Health is well aware of the excellent work being done by the Cheshire Homes around the country. The Cheshire Foundation has made an outstanding contribution to the development of residential accommodation for people with physical disabilities in Ireland. The first Cheshire Home was established in Ireland in 1962. Thirty years later, there are nine homes providing some 264 places. Two new homes at Sligo and Letterkenny are almost complete.
In common with all the Cheshire Homes, St. Patrick's, Tullow, is an independent voluntary body over which the Department of Health has no direct control. However, in recognition of the valuable services it provides to people with disabilities, St. Patrick's Cheshire Home receives grants from the South-Eastern Health Board under section 65 of the Health Act, 1953. I understand that in 1992, the running costs amounted to £328,000 of which the health board contributed £280,000.
With regard to the claim by staff at the home for parity with health board rates, the position is that neither the health board nor the Department of Health is involved directly in the recruitment, pay or conditions of employees in any of the Cheshire Homes. This is entirely a matter for the management of homes concerned. I understand that this was fully explained to representatives of the homes, including St. Patrick's, when they were met by officials of the Department of Health in July 1992. I understand that a claim for parity which has been submitted to the management of another Cheshire Home in County Limerick has been referred to the Labour Court. Negotiations on this claim which are progressing at the moment may have implications for all Cheshire Homes including the Tullow home.
It would be inappropriate for the Department of Health to intervene in the course of these negotiations.