Denis Naughten (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to raise this issue. I also thank Minister for being present to take this important matter.

Approximately 400 social care workers in Galway and Roscommon are owed in or around €7.5 million by the HSE in unpaid wages dating back more than a decade. The HSE has acknowledged that it owes them this money and has been directed by the Labour Court to pay its debts, but the HSE is arguing an inability to pay.

The payment in question is the twilight premium - time and one sixth for the period between 8 p.m. and midnight - for social care workers or leaders in the Brothers of Charity Services in counties Roscommon and Galway and Ability West in County Galway. Both sets of staff have secured the payment dated from 1 January of this year. At a Labour Court hearing - I am sorry, it was a Labour Relations Commission, LRC, hearing - on 3 March, the HSE accepted that there was a legal entitlement to pay the money and that there was a liability in respect of historical arrears that had accrued to the social care workers and leaders, but asserted that it was not in a position to pay those arrears. Galway-Roscommon primary, community and continuing care, PCCC, handed back €6.5 million in respect of psychiatric services last year. Surely some of that money could have been used to pay these arrears.

What is frustrating for the staff is that the HSE has continued to pay its own staff the twilight premium in recent years. The HSE recently paid arrears to the social care staff of agencies in Dublin such as Home Again Traveller, Families Care and Cottage Home for Little Children, but it is refusing to pay the same arrears to social care workers and leaders in Galway and Roscommon.

Will the Minister intervene and direct the HSE to honour its commitment? In light of how it has paid its own staff the twilight premium and the staff of a number of organisations in Dublin their arrears, the same should apply to staff in Galway and Roscommon and they should get the €7.5 million that they are due in arrears without delay.

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