Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 30 April 2014
831. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health the specific health and safety standards, other employment protections and the hourly rate of payment offered to employees/trainees of Rehab who have been engaged in commercial activities for the organisation including the outfitting of coffins, the processing of recyclable waste materials and retail enterprises; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19180/14]
Amharc ar fhreagra832. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Health the extent of oversight and audit arrangements that are in place for Rehab to ensure that employees/trainees receive a fair industrial wage, appropriate career development opportunities and health and safety and other workplace protections; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19181/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 831 and 832 together.
The Rehab Group receives funding from the Health Service Executive (HSE) under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004. Employees of Section 39 organisations, including Rehab, are not public servants, are not subject to the standard salary scales for the health sector and are not counted in public service employment numbers. However, Rehab employees, like all employees, are covered by the national framework of statutory and regulatory protections afforded to all employees in the State, including labour laws, minimum wage and health and safety.
The HSE has a service level agreement with Rehabcare and the National Learning Network (NLN) (subsidiaries of the Rehab Group) to provide day services and rehabilitative training services to people with a disability. The agreement covers the nature and levels of services to be provided by Rehabcare and NLN for the people with a disability within the funding provided on an annual basis. This agreement framework provides governance which links funding provided to a quantum of service and provides for these services to be linked to quality standards, with continuous monitoring to ensure equity, efficiency and effective use of available resources. A critical element of the agreement is the use of standard documentation to formalise the funding arrangements.
As part of this process, all agencies including Rehabcare, are monitored via regular review meetings with HSE Management at Area and Regional level. These review meetings address financial reports, human resources, activity data, planning, review of agreed performance indicators and compliance with quality and standards etc. There are also operational service planning meetings held regularly in relation to individual service users. There is an increasing focus on the use of internal audit in monitoring the operation of Section 39 agencies where warranted and this process will increase in line with the 2014 National Service Plan.
The issues raised in the Deputy's questions, regarding Rehab employees, can be best answered directly by the Rehab Group.
