Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 98: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that as a consequence of the Irish Wheelchair Association being affiliated to the Health Services Employers Agency, the hourly rate of payment for Saturday overnights and nights preceding bank holidays for personal assistants working for persons with disabilities has been cut; if no other health service funded posts receive similar premium rate of pay for working anti-social hours; and her views on whether, unless this regulation is changed, it will be even more difficult for persons with disabilities to live a normal independent life. [22973/05]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Irish Wheelchair Association is a non-governmental organisation which provides services on behalf of the Health Service Executive or HSE. Under the Health Act 2004 the Health Service Executive has responsibility to manage and deliver health and personal social services or to arrange for the delivery of these services on its behalf.

The Act also provided for the dissolution of the Health Service Employers Agency, HSEA, and the transfer of its functions to the executive. The HSEA was a representative body for health service employers which promoted the development of improved human resource practices and represented employers in the management of industrial relations. Accordingly, my Department has requested the parliamentary affairs division of the executive to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.