Gerald Nash (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support what my colleague, Senator Higgins, said about DIT and the students' union there. Two days ago, Senator Ó Ríordáin and I met members of the student's union. The behaviour of the DIT executive is troubling and affects the independence and autonomy of the students' union. I have received a response from DIT and look forward to meeting its representatives in an effort to resolve the impasse in everyone's interest.

I want to raise the issue of the conduct of section 38 organisations that are funded by the State and which provide services on its behalf to people with disabilities. In an article by Martin Wall in this morning's edition of The Irish Timesit is stated that the St. John of God organisation ran two separate payroll systems from 2010 to 2013. Some very well remunerated senior managers were paid a particular amount under one payroll system and the balance under the other. To me, the organisation put this system in place to avoid responsibilities relating to the introduction of public sector pay cuts. St. John of God is effectively a public sector organisation and is recognised as such in law.Its staff, and all those associated with it and other section 38 organisations are, de facto, public servants. The Committee of Public Accounts is examining the issue as the result of an internal HSE audit or investigation but there is a fundamental principle at stake here. In difficult times, St. John of God and other organisations had absolutely no compunction whatsoever introducing pay cuts, through public sector pay agreements, in respect of physiotherapists, nurses, administrators and those who deliver services to people who need them most. Of course, its senior decision makers appear to be a much more protected species. Moreover, the body was, and is, absolutely required to implement public sector pay agreements, end of story. This is a matter of fact. In recent weeks, the Ministers, Deputies Donohoe and Harris, have made some very welcome statements on the responsibilities of section 38 organisations regarding public sector pay agreements. However, as a House and as public representatives, we need to send a very strong message to organisations such St. John of God that public sector pay agreements cannot be breached and the organisations cannot be selective in how they are implemented.