asked the Minister for Health whether his Department have communicated any views to local authorities regarding the salary and wage levels of the staffs of health authorities; whether he is satisfied with the present level of remuneration; and whether he has any data which could relate these levels to those obtaining in comparable employment outside the public service.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Remuneration of Local Authority Staffs.
11.
The salary and wage levels of officers and employees of local health authorities are adjusted periodically by means of negotiations either under the Scheme of Conciliation and Arbitration or under the auspices of the Labour Court, as appropriate. Reference to the rates of remuneration for similar employment outside the local authority service is a normal feature of such negotiations. Since I am not the employer, neither I nor my officers are directly involved in proceedings under the scheme or the Labour Court.
The implementation of settlements emerging from the scheme or the court is subject initially to the consent by resolution of the elected members of health authorities and my function as Minister is to accord—or withhold— approval to the resultant proposals. In view of this the Deputy will appreciate that it would be quite inappropriate for me to offer any comment on the various remuneration levels.
Is it not correct that the Minister did in fact offer advice when he instructed local authorities to increase the cost of the emoluments these people were getting? Was that not, in fact, an instruction to reduce as from 1st October last and subsequently 1st April this year the rate of pay to certain local authority employees?
I have no recollection of that. The Deputy will have to ask a question about it.
The Deputy has already asked a question and has got confirmation from the Minister that his Department in fact did do this. Surely the Minister has not forgotten? I know he has had a lot to think about in the past week or two.
We do occasionally intervene in these matters but in the ordinary way the custom is for me to await the outcome of these negotiations.
But the Minister did not do so this time.
I would not approve of intervening when there is a regular procedure available both to the nonnursing grades and to the officer grades.
But the Minister did intervene in this case specifically on one point which had the effect of reducing the incomes of the people concerned before a wage negotiation took place. If he does it in one case, surely he will, when the occasion suits, do it again?
No, it would not be my practice.
The Minister did it,