asked the Minister for Health whether he is aware that a deduction of an extra 9d. per day has been made on the instructions of his Department from the wages of the female domestic and laundry staff employed at Ardkeen Chest Hospital following a pay increase of 5/- per week to females under 21 years; and if he will state the justification for this deduction as it has resulted in a reduction in actual wages of 3d. per week.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ardkeen Chest Hospital: Wage Deductions.
I have been informed by the Waterford County Council that all the laundry staff at Ardkeen hospital are over 21 years of age and are non-resident and, consequently, the matters mentioned in the question could not arise in regard to them.
In regard to female domestic staff, I understand that it is only within the last few days that the necessary order was made by the local authority, authorising the grant of bonus in their case, at the rate of 5/- per week in the case of such staff under 21 years of age and that the increased deduction which will be made in respect of the value of emoluments in kind will be at the rate of 6d. per day, with effect from the date from which the bonus award has effect.
Some confusion may have arisen locally from the fact that it was intimated by the Department in July last that pending a final decision on the increased valuation to be placed on emoluments for resident staffs, the deductions to be made in the case of staffs to whom a bonus had been granted should be increased by 9d. per day, subject to adjustment later, if necessary, when the valuation was finally fixed. This interim intimation was given so that health authorities which had then decided to make bonus awards—Waterford County Council was not one of them at that stage—could make interim payments to the resident staffs. My decision that the increased deduction, at the discretion of the health authority, should be a minimum of 6d. a day was taken, however, in the latter part of September and was notified by my Department to the appropriate managers on 26th of that month.