Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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35. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on intern health care assistants pay discrepancies in the Midlands Regional Hospital, Mullingar and nationally which was the subject of negotiation with trade unions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11901/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Public Service Agreement 2013 to 2016 provided for the introduction of an Intern Scheme for Health Support Staff during the moratorium on recruitment and promotion within the public service as an exceptional recruitment measure. Under the terms of this Scheme, Interns were given a 2 year contract with a starting salary of 85% of the first point of the salary scale in year 1, progressing to 90% of same in year 2.

Later discussions during the Lansdowne Road Agreement provided that where Interns had completed 18 months of satisfactory service, they would be regularised into permanent positions. HSE HR Circular 025/2015 on the Intern Scheme advised Hospital Groups that support grades should not be recruited to positions in services where there are existing Interns in situ unless those positions have been made available to those interns in the first instance.

Separately and outside of the Public Service Agreement process, the National Recruitment Service for the HSE, after the ending of the moratorium on recruitment, resumed the process of filling a number of vacancies on a permanent basis from panels that had been in place for some time. Given the time frames involved in completing the Intern scheme, a situation has arisen where interns who have not yet completed their 18 months satisfactory service are working alongside new recruits to these support grades.

It is accepted by all parties that this situation has given rise to some unintended anomalies. It is expected that these anomalies will be addressed as part of the discussions in the next round of pay talks expected to commence later this year.