Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 309: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress achieved with the psychiatric nurses' claim for parity of pay with therapeutic grades with consequential upward adjustment for all management grades effective from the end of the current sustaining programme agreement 30 June 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3613/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) and the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) are pursuing a number of cost increasing claims in respect of pay and conditions, including claims for parity with therapeutic grades and a reduction in working hours from 39 to 35 hours per week.

The claims were heard by the Labour Court on 20 June 2006 and were the subject of an in-depth examination. The Labour Court issued its recommendation (LCR 18763) on 9 November 2006. This Recommendation has been accepted by health service employers. In its recommendation the Labour Court noted that the social partnership agreements have brought significant benefits to workers, employers and to the economy overall and they provide a fair mechanism within an agreed framework by which workers can obtain improvements in pay and conditions of employment. In relation to the specific claim for parity with the therapeutic grades the Court stated that it was "of the view that the only available mechanism by which this claim can be processed is through Benchmarking".

In relation to the claim for a reduction in working hours the Court stated that concession of this claim at this time would have profound consequences for both health care delivery and costs unless effective countervailing measures could be put in place. The Court did recommend that the parties explore the possibility of initiating an appropriate process aimed at achieving a major reorganisation of working arrangements within the health service generally. Such a process would have to involve representatives of a variety of grades and professions across the health service.

As Minister for Health and Children I would like to place on record that I hold the nursing and midwifery professions in high esteem and view the care they provide to patients as a critical component of our health services. I believe that a solution to the current dispute can be found within the context of the Labour Court Recommendation and the prevailing national agreements. In this regard I arranged for an exploratory meeting to be held between all the parties concerned at the offices of the HSE-Employers Agency on 19 January 2007. While I understand the discussions provided clarity as to the respective positions of the parties the meeting adjourned without agreement on the way forward. However, I remain hopeful that a resolution to this dispute can still be found and I believe it remains open to the INO and PNA to enter the Benchmarking process and have their pay claims processed through this forum. Two other unions, SIPTU and IMPACT, which also represent nurses are currently participating in the Benchmarking process and have made a submission for improvements in pay and conditions on behalf of their members. In addition the INO and PNA could also decide to accept the national agreement, Towards 2016. If they accept this agreement their members would be eligible for pay increases of 10%.

I believe that the industrial action which the unions concerned now propose to take would not be in the interests of patients, staff or employers and I would urge the Unions to give further consideration to the proposals contained in the Labour Court Recommendation.