Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 29 September 2004
957 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children if the full complement of beds are in use at the Maynooth community care unit; if not, the number in use; the reason for the delay in bringing the unit to full capacity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22887/04]
View answerThe provision of health services in the Kildare area is a matter for the South Western Area Health Board acting under the aegis of the Eastern Regional Health Authority in the first instance. The authority has advised my Department that following recruitment of staff, an additional five beds have been opened at the Maynooth community nursing unit giving a total bed complement of 35 beds currently in use. The authority has further advised that the process for recruiting additional nurses is still under way, that additional beds will be opened at the unit as soon as sufficient staff are in place and that there will be a total bed complement of 44 beds when all the additional staff have been recruited.
958 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of persons employed in the home help service nationally; the hourly payment made; the way in which the terms and conditions of these workers in the health service compare with persons available generally within the health sector; if he has plans to develop a proper career structure with pension and sickness entitlements for these workers in line with the Government’s policy of promoting equal employment rights for persons who are on part-time contracts on a par with those enjoyed by full-time workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22893/04]
View answerAccording to the health service personnel census, there were 2,262 home helps in wholetime equivalent, WTE, terms employed in the health service at end March 2004. The approved, paypath, salary scale for home helps employed in the health service, based on a 39 hour working week, ranges from €24,268 to €25,368 per annum. The Deputy may wish to note that home helps employed in the health service benefit from standard terms and conditions of employment available to all grades of health service staff. These include pension and sick pay entitlements available to part-time staff under the relevant employment legislation.
