Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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419. To ask the Minister for Health the number of workers in section 39 agencies that are currently earning below the living wage; and the estimated annual cost of bringing them in line with this. [32879/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Section 39 agencies fall under Section 39 of the Health Act 2004 where the HSE provides a grant to allow the agency to provide services similar or ancillary to the HSE. Staff in Section 39 organisations were not subject to the provisions of FEMPI legislation and therefore did not receive those cuts that were applied to the pay of public servants. They were not and are not party to Public Service Agreements and are therefore not covered by the pay restoration provided for in these Agreements. While it is understood that pay savings were made by the organisations, the precise mix of pay cuts or other savings measures will have varied.

It would not be appropriate for me to respond on the remuneration of employees in Section 39 organisations as they are private employees. They are not civil or public servants and their terms and conditions of employment, once compliant with employment law, are a matter solely between the employer and employee.