Ms Mo Flynn:

The Deputy asked a question about the issue of a voluntary organisation being the meat in the sandwich. I think it is a very pertinent request. It has been like that. We have found ourselves in the very unusual position of having to go the WRC on the instructions, it must be said, of the HSE which told us that it would only give consideration to our claims for additional funding if we proceeded through the industrial relations mechanisms and received directions to pay. It is a very unusual position because we fully recognise the rights of our employees to pay restoration. To go back to Deputy O'Reilly's point, in the event that pay restoration is received, we are fully committed to passing it on to the employees concerned. Certainly my organisation recognises that in respect of some employees, we will have to find the money from our resources to pay them because they might not be covered by HSE funding or such like. We are fully committed to doing that. It is a very unusual place to find oneself as an employer but it is not one where we have found that we are arguing against the position being put forward because we think it is correct. However, being unable to comply with the requirements because we are unable to meet the costs is a very difficult place in terms of our negotiation and relationship with the HSE in terms of our service arrangements. We are carrying deficits to meet those costs so it leads to considerable pressure from both sides.