Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 11 July 2017
424. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Health if section 39 organisations will be funded by his Department or the HSE relative to pay restoration and increments due to some staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32461/17]
View answer507. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Minister for Health if he will increase the allocation to section 38 and section 39 agencies to enable them to pay their employees the most recent interim pay increase lump sum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32806/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 507 together.
The Lansdowne Road Agreement provided for an increase of €1,000 in annualised salaries of those earning up to €65,000 due to be paid from 1 September 2017. However, in order to address the anomalies which arose following the Labour Court Recommendation for certain Garda Associations, the Government agreed to bring this date forward to 1 April 2017 for these civil and public servants who did not stand to benefit from this Labour Court Recommendation.
No additional funding has been provided to the HSE to pay for this increase for the period 1 April 2017 to 31 August 2017 to its employees. Funding had been provided in the National Service Plan to fund this payment from 1 September 2017.
Section 39 organisations are not encompassed by the Public Service Stability Agreements and are therefore not obliged to pass on any pay reductions to their staff members or to provide for any pay restoration that may be negotiated as part of these public service agreements. Neither the HSE nor the Department of Health has any role in determining the pay rates or terms and conditions of Section 39 staff. It is a matter for Section 39 organisations to negotiate salaries with their staff as part of their employment relationship and within the overall funding available for the delivery of agreed services.
