asked the Minister for Health if he proposes to offer improvements in working conditions to the non-nursing hospital staffs including ambulance drivers, wardsmen, wardsmaids, seamstresses, laundry maids and boilermen; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Non-Nursing Hospital Staffs.
23.
The working conditions of the non-nursing staffs are the responsibility of the various health authorities, and other hospital authorities, who administer the hospitals in which they are employed.
I would assure the Deputy that I am sympathetically disposed towards hospital staffs in general and that I would welcome improvements in the working conditions of non-nursing personnel in hospitals where such are found necessary and can be arranged in present circumstances. Where such personnel consider that improvements are called for, the normal negotiating machinery is available to them to advance their case.
In view of the fact that the Minister for Health has been going around this week announcing the wonderful changes he proposes to make in the conditions of employment of nursing personnel and claiming that it is his responsibility and that he is going to see to it that those arrangements will be carried out, would the Minister for Justice ask him at the first available opportunity what he proposes to do about non-nursing personnel? Does he intend leaving them at the mercy of the City and County Managers' Associations who want to get them for the cheapest penny they possibly can? Further, does the Minister or the House know that ambulance drivers often have to work 18 hours out of the 24 hours for very poor pay? Would he ask the Minister for Health to make a declaration with regard to these people?
(Interruptions.)
You will get a better deal from O'Malley than from anyone in Fine Gael.
(Interruptions.)
You had to make many promises at the by-election in Roscommon.
In view of the fact that the Minister for Agriculture chooses to give his own particular type of answer with regard to this, will he say what he is doing about the agricultural workers?
Yes, they will get their £1.
They are not getting anything.
(Interruptions.)
The will of the people is a great thing now.