Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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490. To ask the Minister for Health the reason the gratuity due to certain home help workers in lieu of pension payments has not issued to date in line with the recommendations of the Labour Court. [2948/20]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is referring to home help workers who are employed by voluntary providers of home help services which are funded under section 39 of the Health Act 2004.

I advised the Deputy previously on a number of occasions that as these home help workers are not employed by the HSE, the HSE and the Department have no role in determining the salaries or other terms and conditions applying to these staff including any pension arrangements.

In addition, the Deputy is aware that a joint working group was established, as agreed as part of the 2015 Lansdowne Road talks, to consider a number of issues in relation to section 39 organisations.  Unfortunately it was not possible to reach an agreement between the parties on the issue of gratuity payments.