Tom Moffatt
Question:85 Dr. Moffatt asked the Minister for Health the steps, if any, he has taken to avert the threatened strike of chartered physiotherapists. [10036/97]
Written Answers. - Physiotherapists' Pay Claim.
Noel Davern
Question:86 Mr. Davern asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the request by physiotherapists employed by health boards seeking pay comparable with other graduate health care professionals; if he will give favourable consideration to their request in view of the fact that their last pay review was 17 years ago and that pay negotiations with his Department under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work have made little progress in the past two years; and if he will make a statement on the current status of physiotherapists' pay negotiations. [10091/97]
Liam Fitzgerald
Question:87 Mr. L. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health if he has received a submission from chartered physiotherapists in relation to the need for a pay review to take into account what their organisation refers to as a significant change in their job description since their last pay review in 1978; his views on whether it is necessary to upgrade tertiary education to a four year honours degree programme and ongoing in-service programmes in view of the fact that the chartered physiotherapist is legally responsible for their own diagnosis and subsequent treatment of every patient presenting to them; his views on whether these aspects represent the need for an in-depth review of pay and conditions for this profession; the current status of chartered physiotherapists' pay negotiations under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10250/97]
Brian Cowen
Question:88 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has to resolve the situation of speech and language therapists; and if a review of the speech and language therapy service is planned. [10290/97]
Brian Cowen
Question:89 Mr. Cowen asked the Minister for Health the proposals, if any, he has to address the situation of occupational therapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10291/97]
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:93 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health the current position in relation to the pay negotiations on behalf of chartered physiotherapists. [9520/97]
Frances Fitzgerald
Question:94 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health the current position in relation to the review of the speech and language therapy services. [9521/97]
Máirín Quill
Question:112 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the claim by occupational therapists for comparable pay with other graduate health care professionals; his views on whether occupational therapists have an entitlement to parity of pay with other graduate health care professionals in view of the fact that they have completed a four year honours degree course; the current status of occupational therapy pay negotiations under the Programme for Competitiveness and Work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9722/97]
Seán Haughey
Question:115 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Health his position regarding the pay negotiations of chartered physiotherapists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9784/97]
, Limerick East): I wish to take Questions Nos. 85 to 89, inclusive, 93, 94, 112 and 115 together.
I presume the review referred to by Deputies Davern and Fitzgerald is that of the 1978 working party established to examine the grading structure for physiotherapists in hospitals. The report of the working party was circulated in 1979. However, this was not a pay review.
Physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, similar to all other paramedical professions, have benefited in full from all standard and special pay awards under the various national pay programmes over the last number of years. The relative position of these professions in terms of remuneration has been maintained with those of their collegues in other paramedical disciplines.
IMPACT, on behalf of physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, is pursuing a pay claim under clause 2 (iii) — annex 1 of the Programme for Competitiveness and Work. These negotiations are complex and are being handled by the health service employers' agency with a view to arriving at a mutually satisfactory conclusion as soon as possible.
I assure the Deputies that every effort is being made to resolve this dispute and informal contacts are being maintained to ensure that the industrial relations machinery available is utilised to its fullest extent.