Professor Malcolm MacLachlan:

I want to comment on Deputy Tully’s remarks about the inequality in pay between section 38 organisations and the HSE, which is a crucial issue. We are trying to promote services that are about addressing social injustice and we are doing it through a system that embodies that. For instance, there could be two occupational therapists who have exactly the same training and years of experience, and they are paid quite differently. As the committee knows, over the last number of years, but more specifically over the last year, huge work has been done by disability operations in standing up these children's disability network teams. That is being done within the structures we have and it has been very difficult. The national pay policy is another area which it would be very important at a national policy level to address because that is the only way in which we are going to address that sort of inequality. That inequality will result in people leaving, given they are going to get cheesed off if someone with the same experience is earning more. There are a lot of things we can do on our side, including some very important things. To look at the national pay policy and at equity across section 38 and 39 organisations and the HSE would be very welcome.