Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 7 September 2018
562. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health when the HSE will receive additional funding to allocate to those section 39 organisations that have pay restoration obligations as indicated in the HSE report submitted on 11 June 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36090/18]
View answer672. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the status of pay restoration for HSE staff aligned with disability organisations (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35768/18]
View answer785. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1592 of 24 July 2018, if the situation between the HSE and section 39 organisations has now been resolved; if the organisations will receive the requisite funding to meet pay restoration entitlements under national pay agreements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36089/18]
View answer949. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Health the status of the negotiations regarding section 39 workers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36927/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 562, 672, 785 and 949 together.
You will be aware that in February 2018, an agreement was reached at the WRC between my Department, the HSE and health sector Trade Unions in relation to a process aimed at resolving the pay restoration issue for staff employed by section 39 bodies.
I asked the HSE to engage with the Section 39 organisations to establish the facts around what cuts were applied and how and when they were implemented. The HSE has completed the first phase of their work in relation to the 50 agencies identified as part of the WRC process. This exercise has shown that of the agencies who returned data, a majority did apply pay reductions of some form. It also showed that some agencies made some form of pay restoration between 2016 and 2018.
Two conciliation meetings took place between the parties at the Workplace Relations Commission in July 2018. Regrettably, the unions withdrew from this process and SIPTU has indicated its intention to proceed with industrial action on 18 September 2018.
My Department remains willing to return to discussions at the Workplace Relations Commission.
