Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Before I answer, I join with Deputy Martin in offering my condolences and those of the Government to the victims and families of those killed and wounded in the recent attack in Las Vegas. In the face of such horror and tragedy, the Irish Government and people stand in solidarity with our friends and families in the United States. I leith a leithéid d'uafáis agus de thragóid, seasann Rialtas na hÉireann agus muintir na hÉireann lenár gcairde sna Stáit Aontaithe. It was not just an attack on the people of the United States but also on citizens from all over the world. I sent a message to President Trump yesterday to express the condolences of the Irish people to the people of America.

To answer Deputy Martin's question, everyone in Government, myself included, is aware of the wonderful work that the hospice movement does, not just in hospices themselves but also in hospice home care. We have been very supportive of the hospice movement and the budget for hospices and palliative care has increased every year for the last number of years. For my own part, I was very involved in ensuring that funding was secured for St. Francis Hospice in Blanchardstown so that it could open fully and serve my constituents and others from the north Dublin and Meath region. Deputy Martin knows that his former colleague, former Deputy Brian Lenihan, was essential in ensuring that we got State land on which to build that hospice. I was, in many ways, carrying on his work. He ensured that the land was secured, the community raised the money and, as Minister, I provided funding to open it fully. Castlebar hospice is now under construction. While it is not under construction yet, I know plans for the new hospice in Wicklow are now very advanced, and there are also plans for hospice units in Waterford and Drogheda. There is a definite need for one in the midlands too.

That shows real commitment and progress towards providing the option of people ending their days in a hospice where they can die in a dignified way, which is what I think people would want for their friends and loved ones rather than for them to die in a busy hospital ward. Hospice home care is also important, because very few people die at home now and I think many people would wish to die at home if hospice home care was available. That needs to be increased in the years ahead.

The issue the Deputy referred to relates to the law around section 38 and section 39 bodies. Section 38 bodies are considered to be part of the public service and therefore people who work in it are public servants, are affected by FEMPI legislation when it goes up or down, and have public sector pensions.

Those who work under section 39 provisions, often hospices, charities and other bodies, are not public servants. They are not bound by the rules that apply to public servants and, therefore, they are not directly bound by FEMPI legislation. When salaries are being cut or when salaries are being increased, they are not bound by the rules around public sector pensions. The way those bodies are funded is through a block grant from Government and those bodies have a lot of autonomy to decide how that money is allocated.

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