Ms Mo Flynn:

I made reference earlier to the fact that we were included in benchmarking and everything else prior to this event. I think the words used by a senior member of staff in the HSE to me was that we were forgotten. I think all parties to the negotiations for both the Haddington Road agreement and then the Lansdowne Road agreement forgot about section 39s. It is only a small cohort of employees, not the hundreds of thousands involved in many other sectors. They were forgotten, which I think is why people are now retrospectively trying to figure out an answer. We have now created this problem that is difficult to untangle, yet for so many years previously we had been able to manage this and it was always addressed. It is an issue that is readily resolved; it just needs the commitment and the timelines. I very much welcome the indication from the Department and the Minister last week in the Dáil that a system will be put in place to address this. However, there are no timelines associated with that. In our terms of negotiations with the HSE 12 months ago we asked about this money and were told to bring the matter to the WRC and force that to happen. I am concerned we are now into 2018 service arrangement negotiations and are no further in the process but the Bill is bigger and there seems no resolution in sight.