Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, it is frustrating. It is frustrating for the staff, first, and for the Government and all of us as public representatives. It is not for any lack of will on the part of the HSE or the Department. As the Deputy correctly pointed out, unfortunately, we have outdated legacy systems, including for payroll. A new process is being put in place. One of the first places we are applying it is to the non-consultant hospital doctors to get rid of the situation where they were paying emergency tax every time they rotated. They will be a priority.

It is good to point out that while about half will be paid before Christmas, the other half will be paid after Christmas, into the new year. The amounts involved are significant. In my response, I asked for two worked examples, namely for a staff nurse and a clinical nurse manager, just to give a sense of the amounts due, including the arrears. I will mention those in a supplementary response.

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