Results 10,141-10,160 of 12,424 for speaker:Louise O'Reilly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: I welcome the statement from the representatives of the federation and other bodies that they do not resist the process with third parties, because there certainly was a time when they did. This is a very welcome development. It seems a bit odd that it happened when the workers were trying to resist cuts. I have questions for both parties. We know the industrial action by workers is due...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: I apologise for the interruption but this is important. Will Ms Flynn tells us how the €2 million fits as a percentage of her organisation's pay bill and whether it is increasing, which is probably the more pertinent point?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: That is quite a jump.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: Perhaps Ms Flynn might be able to provide us with that figure because it would be helpful. We know it will vary from organisation to organisation but even an idea or projection of it for the whole sector might be helpful because as an indication, €700,000 to €2 million over three years is quite a jump.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: That would be a saving of 20% if they were directly employed straight away.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: It is a good value for money argument which we would love to be able to make to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform if it was here.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: Can the witnesses confirm for the record, and I know it because I was there at the time, that it was an instruction effectively that pay would be cut, exactly as Mr. Bell outlined? Will they confirm that it was an instruction that did not leave the witnesses in any doubt that there was anything else they could do and that it was not just an implicit but an explicit instruction?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: Absolutely, some more willing than others, Ms Flynn. It was done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: On a very brief point of order, Ms Flynn referred to the section 39s being forgotten. I wish to correct the record. They were not forgotten. They were included, and representations were made by the trade unions at the time to have them included but we were told very firmly and clearly that they were not part of that process and that they would be part of another process. I fully agree...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: I have a number of questions. Most of the witnesses will be aware of my trade union involvement prior to being elected. Was Ms Cody involved in instructing the section 39 organisations to cut pay? When the cut was imposed, was it the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform that advised the Department of Health to pass it on? I am trying to figure out where the cuts started from? ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: I am sorry but that reply is not acceptable. It cannot be the case that all these disparate agencies came to the same conclusion. It was my feeling at the time, although not all of the correspondence were shared with us, and it is my clear understanding now, with the benefit of hindsight, that an instruction was issued, or advice. When the grant was cut, I presume the Department was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: That really underlines why we need to have staff from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform present.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: With respect, there is no way that answers the question. The organisations' representatives were here just before the delegates who are present and they were very clear that the communication with which they were issued was in the form of an instruction.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: What funding did the HSE seek?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: We were talking about it before Mr. Mulvaney came into the room. A figure somewhere in the region of €12 million to €13 million was mentioned.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: Mr. Mulvany might explain what they are because I do not understand it. The previous delegates were very clear on the minimum amount they thought it would take to begin the process and I think it excludes increments. Rather than go into the figures, Mr. Mulvany might explain why he thinks the issue is sensitive. That is not clear to me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: That Mr. Mulvany will not share it with us is relevant. It has superseded the figure. He said he will give consideration offline to sharing it with us. He might do so and communicate it to us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: I asked a very specific question about Labour Court recommendation No. 21609, which makes specific reference to the need for what it calls an administrative exercise by the HSE. The delegates might comment on it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: I am sorry to keep interrupting, but that directly contradicts what the representatives of the section 39 agencies said when they were here a few moments ago. They were very clear that they had been advised by the HSE to go through the industrial relations channels. Ms Mannion has been involved with this issue for a long time and knows that one cannot keep running into and out of the Labour...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Section 39 Organisations: Discussion (31 Jan 2018)

Louise O'Reilly: The court and representatives of section 39 agencies disagree fundamentally with what Ms Mannion has just said.