Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy.

I agree. The assessment and the report concluded that critically there were no material differences in qualifications and duties in responsibilities between medical scientist grades across laboratory specialists and biochemist grades. Small differences were highlighted particularly in regard to the educational requirements. The assessor gave recommendations for addressing these. The parties met again in February and in March to discuss the recommendations. Following the March meeting, the MLSA referred the matter back to the WRC.

In good news, one of the issues we all discussed at the time was that there was an anomaly and a pay discrepancy with regard to laboratory aids. It was really frustrating the medical scientists. I am happy to be able to say and that during the WRC engagement last year the parties agreed to remove the anomaly created between the maximum value of the medical laboratory aid salary scale and the basic medical scientist grade, that overlap and anomaly has been resolved.

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