Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 2 October 2018
321. Deputy Fergus O'Dowd asked the Minister for Health if a service (details supplied) is on the list of section 39 facilities included in the recent Workplace Relations Commission talks and future restoration and pay increases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39388/18]
View answer322. Deputy Eugene Murphy asked the Minister for Health if funding will be allocated to a hospice (details supplied) and other voluntary hospices to allow them to meet pay restoration costs for 2017 and 2018 in line with HSE pay levels in view of the fact that the grant allocation to the hospice from the HSE is based on specific staffing levels and the service agreement with the HSE states that it must comply with HSE pay levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39392/18]
View answer448. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Minister for Health the increase in funding required for section 39 organisations for total pay restoration of section 39 workers as per the internal audit report of the HSE. [40017/18]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 321, 322 and 448 together.
You will be aware that in February 2018, an agreement was reached at the Workplace Relations Commission (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 in 50 pilot organisations. Neither the Galway hospice nor the Red Door Project Addiction Services, Drogheda are included in the pilot process. The 50 organisations included were agreed at the WRC by all parties.
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 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 WRC in July 2018. These talks reconvened on 18 September 2018 and will continue on 2 October 2018.
