John McGuinness (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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339. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to address the restoration of pay in section 39 agencies; his further plans to consider applying the new pay levels retrospectively; his views on the HSE report into the matter; if he has costed the restoration of pay, the realignment of incremental scales and the payment of arrears due for all of the section 39 agencies; his further views on the talks between the unions concerned and the HSE relative to these matters and the possibility of strike action; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29076/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On 9 February 2018, an agreement was reached at the WRC between the Department of Health, the HSE and health sector Trade Unions in relation to a process aimed at resolving the pay restoration issue for staff employed by section 39 bodies.

While it is understood that pay savings were made by the organisations, the precise mix of pay cuts or other savings measures will have varied. Also, where there were pay cuts, it is not at all clear that they were applied in a universally consistent manner, as in the public sector.

Therefore, the Government has put in place a process to establish a deeper understanding of the funding position in these grant - aided organisations and the true extent of the pay reductions applied.

The Minister for Health asked the HSE to engage with the Section 39 organisations to establish the facts around what cuts were applied and how and when they were implemented.

On foot of agreement at the WRC, a data gathering exercise was conducted. Following discussions with the Trade Unions on a draft of the report, the HSE submitted their completed interim report to the Department on 11 June 2018.

This report covers a sample of 50 agencies identified in the WRC agreement. The Department of Health is currently considering the findings of the report.

A conciliation conference has been scheduled between the parties at the Workplace Relations Commission for Monday 9 July 2018.