asked the Minister for Local Government and Public Health if he will send down an inspector of his Department to investigate the long hours of work of the nurses, domestic workers and lodge-keeper at County Hospital, Portlaoighise, and the wages of each of these persons in relation to their hours of work; and if he will arrange with the county manager to have "time off" to suit all the nursing staff and to improve conditions generally for the domestic workers in the institution; and further, whether he will inquire into the question as to whether this hospital is adequately staffed.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Hospital Employees' Conditions of Work.
The numbers of the nursing and attendant staffs required in the County Hospital, Portlaoighise, were fully considered in 1941 when the new hospital was opened and approval was given to a staff which was calculated to be adequate to afford satisfactory conditions of service. An additional nursing post was subsequently approved this year. I see no reason at present to make any further investigation.
I might mention that the annual cost of this institution (including maintenance and repayment of capital charges) amounts to £14,450. This is equivalent to an annual cost of £81 in respect of average bed occupation and a gross burden of 1/2 in the £ on the valuation of the county.
Is the Minister aware that there have been complaints by the domestic staff in the hospital in regard to "time off", that the time off that the county manager allows them does not suit them? I think it is up to the Department to see that the Laoighis County Council are in a position to suit the attendants of the hospital. The orders of the county manager are by no means in accord with the wishes of the people of the county in this matter.
It seems to me, as regards the hours of duty in an institution of this sort, that the first thing to be considered are the needs of the institution.