Michael Ring
Question:657 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Health and Children if home helps who were paid low wages up until 1994 are will be paid arrears of the pay increase awarded from 1994 onwards. [2439/02]
Written Answers. - Part-Time Home Helps.
Until 1999, there was no set national rate of pay for part-time home helps. In April 1999 funding was allocated to ensure that all part-time home helps would be paid £3 (3.80) per hour. The following year, 2000, the National Minimum Wage Agreement allowed for the rate of pay to be increased to £4.40 (5.59) per hour. Neither of these pay increases contained an arrears element. The part-time home helps agreement, 2000, which was negotiated for this grade of staff by its representatives, awarded the part-time home helps the Non-Nursing Group I rate, now roughly 9.92 or £7.81 per hour, from January 2001. The point of this pay scale at which a home help was to be paid was determined by his or her length of service. Those home helps who had been in the service during or prior to 1994 were paid at point 8 of the pay scale from 2001. A lump sum payment was paid in lieu of arrears.