Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 June 2016
181. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health further to previous parliamentary questions (details supplied), why staff in Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar in County Westmeath, whom the Health Service Executive employs under different panels, receive different pay increments despite having identical practical experience; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16334/16]
View answerAs the Deputy has noted in a response to a similar PQ asked on 9 June 2016, the Public Service Agreement (PSA) 2013 to 2016 provided for the introduction of an Intern Scheme for Health Support Staff during the moratorium on recruitment and promotion within the public service as an exceptional recruitment measure. Under the terms of this Scheme, Interns were given a 2 year contract with a starting salary of 85% of the first point of Band 3 salary in year 1, progressing to 90% of same in year 2.
As the Deputy is aware, later discussions during the Lansdowne Road Agreement provided that where Interns had completed 18 months of satisfactory service, they would be regularised into permanent positions. HSE HR Circular 025/2015 on the Intern Scheme advised Hospital Groups that support grades should not be recruited to positions in services where there are existing Interns in situ unless those positions have been made available to those interns in the first instance.
