Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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842. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to remove the pay and increments freeze from employees at St. Christopher’s Services, Longford (details supplied). [45010/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Under section 39 of the Health Act 2004, the HSE provides financial assistance to organisations to provide services similar or supplementary to a service that the HSE may provide. Staff in these organisations are not public servants and were not subject to the provisions of FEMPI legislation. They did not automatically receive the cuts that were applied to the pay of public servants. These employees differ to those employed by organisations who provide services under section 38 of the Act who are public servants and are therefore paid in line with the Department of Health consolidated salary scales.

As we are aware, an agreement was reached by the parties in October 2018, in relation to a process of pay restoration for staff employed by the 50 pilot agencies. Pay restoration commenced in April 2019 with an annual pay increase of up to €1,000. Any outstanding balance would be paid in two equal amounts in 2020 and 2021, if due. I can confirm that St Christopher's services were included in this pilot group and are in receipt of the appropriate pay restoration.