Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

We have a process for dealing with relative pay claims, the benchmarking process, and this is the approach suggested by the Labour Court with regard to the issue raised by the Deputy. There are 1,000 nurses working in the mental health service in which those reporting to them are paid approximately €3,000 more than them. The reason for this is that their work is extraordinarily difficult and it is very difficult to get people to work in the area. I accept there is an issue when the person to whom these workers report is paid less than them. The Labour Court recommended after adjudication that this should be considered in the context of benchmarking. I understand the nurses organisations want any increase extended to every nurse, not just those working in that environment.

The innovative approach I suggest will not work if all the stakeholders are not involved. By all the stakeholders I mean those that represent the key professions that work in the health system, including radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, junior hospital doctors and so on. We cannot resolve in isolation the issues that affect nurses and the new working arrangements we want to see without it being done as part of an overall arrangement with other key professionals.

I repeat: we have processes and want them to be used. Public pay is determined in the context of the social partnership agreement, not in any other process. Changes in work practices that could involve a shorter working week could be pursued through an innovative approach through a process or forum. Others are exploring this option. It is not a matter for me, as I do not represent the workers involved. However, my door is open, as is that of the Government, to any process agreed by the various stakeholders to look at devising innovative work practices within the health system.

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