Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The WRC process is under way. The hospices are not part of that because the people they recruit are members of nursing bodies, doctors' unions and other unions related to health service staff. That means that currently, as I understand it, most recently from the lead SIPTU negotiator, a broad framework offer has been put on the table by the Government, which I believe has been welcomed by the unions, for the other section 39 organisations.

They will be offered pay restoration with a small back pay offer to be paid in January and backdated to October. I ask the Minister to indicate that he will make a similar arrangement for hospice staff. They are coming from general hospitals into hospices and do not fit into the Department's particular categories because they are in general health unions, which deal with those issues specifically.