Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005
309 Ms McManus asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her plans to compensate registered nurses working in the intellectual disability sector who are paid significantly less than other staff working in this area with fewer qualifications, whom the nurses work alongside and in many cases supervise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1900/05]
View answer317 Mr. F. McGrath asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will urgently resolve the major professional matters (details supplied) relating to the registered nurses in intellectual disability to ensure that they get the maximum support and ensure that persons with an intellectual disability be entitled to the same high standard of service as others; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1971/05]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 309 and 317 together.
The final report of the joint committee on social care professions made recommendations in relation to pay and grading structures for child care workers. The pay recommendation provided for increases of 17% to 27% for house parents-child care leaders and assistant house parents-child care workers in the residential sector. The benchmarking body, PSBB, referred to this report and recommended that these increases be extended to similar grades in the intellectual disabilities sector, IDS.
In March 2004 the Labour Court considered a claim from the Alliance of Nursing Unions for a 10.55% pay increase for nurses working in the intellectual disability sector, to restore a ‘differential' which existed between nurses and social care professionals prior to the determination of the public sector benchmarking body. While the Labour Court accepted that registered nurses intellectual disability, RNID, had traditionally been paid more than social care professionals, it stated that no formal pay ‘differential' existed between the two grades. The court noted that an understanding had been reached at the Labour Relations Commission on 3 September 2003 between the employers and the Alliance of Nursing Unions and that both parties had accepted that the report of the PSBB severed all pay links and established new absolute levels of pay for benchmarked grades. There was also an acceptance that any future benchmarking exercise or whatever subsequent arrangements are put in place for determining public service pay is the appropriate forum to examine the position of RNIDs vis-à-vis other social care professionals. The court also noted that this understanding was rejected by members of the Alliance of Nursing Unions leading to the referral to the matter to the court.
The court issued its recommendation on 1 April 2004. Having considered the written and oral submissions the court was of the view that the claim could not be dealt with outside of the established agreements. Accordingly, the court recommended that the matter be dealt with in accordance with the understanding reached between the parties at the conciliation conference on 3 September 2003 and that it be given priority in this exercise.
In the discussions on phase II of Sustaining Progress the management agreed that the position of the RNID would be considered in the next benchmarking review which will commence in the second half of 2005. The special working group on the registered nurse intellectual disability was established in April 2003 and includes representatives of the Nursing Alliance and health service employers. This group is continuing to consider issues relevant to the role of the RNID, including reporting relationships, scope of practice matters and the education of persons with severe and profound intellectual disability.
The Government is committed to enhancing services for people with intellectual disability. Between 1997 and 2004, the Government provided additional revenue and capital funding of €400 million for services for people with intellectual disability and those with autism. In late 2004, the Government announced details of a further five-year investment programme in services for people with disabilities, the cumulative cost of which will be around €900 million. A major proportion of this funding will be used to target specific high support services for people with disabilities, including those with intellectual disability or autism, provided by the health services. This investment programme is a key element of the national disability strategy announced by the Taoiseach in September 2004.
