Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 23 October 2012
681. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health the measures taken by the Health Service Executive to implement Labour Relations Commission Recommendation No LRC20312 issued on the 29 June 2012 regarding to contracts for home helps; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46378/12]
View answer682. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health in view of Labour Relations Commission Recommendation No LRC20312, the reason the Health Service Executive is currently allocating home help hours to a company (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46379/12]
View answer683. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Health in view of the fact the Health Service Executive has allocated more than 15,260 hours of home help to a company (details supplied) between 2011 and 2012, if he is satisfied that all home help workers employed by the HSE in County Donegal are currently operating at the full contracted hours as agreed between them and the HSE in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46380/12]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 681 to 683, inclusive, together.
On 29 June 2012, the Labour Court recommended that the HSE and SIPTU should engage in relation to matters concerning home help contracts and in the event that there are any outstanding issues they may be referred back to the Court. The HSE engaged with SIPTU concerning the recommendation and advised that as part of the process it would be undertaking an information gathering exercise to ascertain the up to date position regarding the nature of the contracts held by home helps and the hours worked under such contracts. This exercise is in train.
On 15 October 2012, having met with the parties again, the Labour Court has recommended that the parties should re-engage under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission and that this engagement be completed by 30 November 2012. I have asked the HSE to reply directly to the Deputy in relation to the allocation and monitoring of home help hours to a private company in respect of the period indicated.
