Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

372. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 165 of 14 June 2018, the status of negotiations on the pay restoration issue for staff employed by section 39 bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36991/18]

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

499. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 562 and 785 of 7 September 2018, the reason organisations should return to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, if the HSE audit found that staff were subject to pay cuts and therefore due restoration; when the requisite funding will be made available to those organisations by the HSE or his Department to pay overdue pay restoration rates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37457/18]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 372 and 499 together.

You will be aware that in February 2018, an agreement was reached at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) between my Department, 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.

I 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. The HSE has completed the first phase of their work in relation to the 50 agencies identified as part of the WRC process. This exercise has shown that of the agencies who returned data, a majority did apply pay reductions of some form. It also showed that some agencies made some form of pay restoration between 2016 and 2018.

Two conciliation meetings took place between the parties at the WRC in July 2018. Unfortunately, the unions withdrew from this process and SIPTU indicated its intention to proceed with industrial action on 18 September 2018.

However, I am pleased to say that on 14 September, SIPTU agreed to the deferral of industrial action in favour of reconvening talks on the issues in dispute at the WRC. These talks will commence on 18 September 2018.