Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 18 Feb 1997

Vol. 475 No. 1

Written Answers. - Nurses' Dispute.

Ivor Callely

Question:

134 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Health if he will give a breakdown of the £80 million package being offered to the nursing profession to prevent strike action; where the £80 million will be raised; if health or health related services will be curtailed or reduced in order to raise the £80 million; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4313/97]

Trevor Sargent

Question:

146 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Health where he proposes to source the extra funding promised as a consequence of the nurses' dispute; if this will necessitate less resources for other aspects of the health service; if so, which aspects will be affected; and the extent to which these will be affected. [4400/97]

Minister for Health (Mr. Noonan,

Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 134 and 146 together. The deal offered to nurses by an independent adjudication board in September 1996 was valued at £45 million (at full year additional cost excluding the cost of 1 per cent paid with effect from April 1994). This deal was rejected and the subsequent Labour Court recommendation is estimated to have added £36 million to those costs bringing the full year cost of the offer currently being balloted on by nurses to £81 million.

The breakdown of this cost is estimated as follows:

Cost Category	£million
Pay Increases	67.2
Early Retirement/Pre-Retirement Initiative	8.3
Additional Incremental Credit for Temporary Nurses	5.5

The Government statement issued on 9 February 1997 in relation to the nurses dispute pointed out that no provision has been made in the 1997 Estimates to meet the significant additional costs arising from the Labour Court recommendation.

In that context, my colleague, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Quinn, has indicated that he will be reviewing expenditure plans across all Departments with a view to identifying savings to fund the additional expenditure. Until the Government has taken decisions on the funding arrangements it is not possible to indicate what impact, if any, there will be on health or other services.