Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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584. To ask the Minister for Health if he will examine the case of a person (details supplied) in relation to their application for receipt of incremental payments due to them after 20 years' service in employment; if he will outline the eligibility criteria for receipt of incremental payments to long term employees in their situation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20369/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Prior to the introduction in 2009 of the moratorium on staff recruitment and promotion in the public service, arrangements were in place whereby staff nurses, who applied, were promoted to the Senior Staff Nurse Grade after 20 years' service. The relevant agreement between Management and the Unions stipulated that the post of Senior Staff Nurse was not a long-service increment. Since the moratorium, no appointments to the post of Senior Staff Nurse have been made, given that such appointments would constitute promotion.

In the context of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC) proposals following the public service pay discussions earlier this year, the management side had indicated its preparedness to resume the appointment of nurses with the requisite service to the Senior Staff Nurse grade. Given that, at the request of Government, the Chief Executive of the LRC is currently consulting further with the parties to those discussions, I do not consider it appropriate to comment further at this point on the issue raised by the Deputy.