Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 17 October 2018

Select Committee on Health

Children's Health Bill 2018: Committee Stage

12:20 pm

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Dublin City Council has a representative on the board of the National Maternity Hospital and that person fulfils a very important role in terms of ensuring that the board is rounded. I had some experience with another entity, which I will not name, where traditionally the custom and practice was that there was a seat for the worker's representatives. It was an extra seat but it was not stipulated in legislation and, over time, that provision was eroded and we ended up with a board where business was very heavily represented and the workers were not.

For that reason, providing in legislation and ensuring that workers have the right to be represented on the board is important. The reason is that, over time, and I say this because I have seen what happens, even with the best intentions, and the Minister of State has outlined the best intentions in the world, if we do not codify exactly what we mean and if we are not in some way specific about it, it will not last. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, as outlined in the amendment, represents almost 800,000 workers across the State, so a nominee would be a representative for all workers as much as a representative for the staff, and we would see this provision as important.

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