Written answers
Thursday, 17 January 2019
Department of Health
HSE Staff Remuneration
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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129. To ask the Minister for Health the measures he plans to implement to improve the pay and conditions for nurses in the health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2253/19]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Government has already approved a range of measures that would improve the pay and conditions of nurses and midwives in the health service.
The Public Service Stability Agreement (PSSA) is delivering wage increases of 6.4% to 7.2% over 2018-2020. In addition to the pay increases nurses and midwives can expect under the PSSA, they would also benefit from the proposals announced last September relating to the ‘new entrant’ pay issue, benefiting approximately 10,000 nurses in Ireland who entered the health service since 2011. Measures proposed by the Public Service Pay Commission for nurses and midwives and accepted by the Government include increases of 20% in Local and Qualification Allowances for Nurses, extension of these allowance to maternity services, and a reduction of time required to become eligible for the Senior Staff Nurse/Midwife Grade.
While the INMO and PNA have rejected these measures and are set to engage in industrial action in pursuit of cost increasing pay claims, they are parties to the PSSA. The pursuit of cost increasing pay claims and engagement in industrial action are both specifically excluded under the terms of the PSSA.
Officials from my Department and the HSE met with the INMO and PNA on Tuesday and a further meeting is scheduled for next Monday. Management have undertaken to respond to a number of queries raised at Tuesday’s meeting and this will be done within the confines of the PSSA. The parties have also been invited to meet with the National Oversight Body (which oversees the PSSA) on Friday of this week.
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