Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour)
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208. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide a list of all section 39 organisations with service level agreements and grant aid agreements with his Department and or the HSE; if all section 39 bodies are included in the overall agreement reached with the trade unions in terms of the pay restoration process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6122/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As we are aware, an agreement was reached by parties at the Workplace Relations Commission in October 2018, in relation to a process of pay restoration for staff employed by 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.

The agreement reached at the WRC noted that some of the organisations (approximately 250) which did not form part of the pilot phase are also likely to have pay restoration issues. It stated that a process of engagement to address this would commence in 2019. It is the organisations who were identified in that initial agreement reached at the WRC in 2018 that are included in this final phase of pay restoration. I have asked the HSE to assist with your request in relation to a list of all section 39 organisations with service level agreements and grant aid agreements. 

Since late 2019, there was a number of meetings between the parties at the WRC, in relation to this final phase. The HSE have been costing this next phase of pay restoration and have asked those eligible 250 organisations, who were included as part of the WRC agreement, to submit an application which will be subject to assessment and verification by the HSE. 

I can confirm that following engagement at the Workplace Relations Commission in early December, the parties reached an agreement in relation to the 250 organisations.  A payment arrangement consisting of three phases was agreed with the first two payments to be made in 2021.