James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail)
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669. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider matters raised in correspondence (details supplied) regarding a section 39 care unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41458/24]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Organisations who are in receipt of funding via Section 39 arrangements are not public bodies. They are privately owned and run organisations, and the terms and conditions of employment for staff in these organisations are ultimately between the employer and the employee.

Although not the employers, the Departments are aware that staff employed across the hundreds of HSE funded organisations have been employed using a multiplicity of terms and conditions, including different rates of remuneration and are dependent on Government for funding.

An agreement to increase funding for pay was reached in the WRC in October 2023. The application process is currently being managed by the HSE and KOSI Corporation.

At 23^rd September, of 1,166 organisations with whom communication was made, 689 have made submissions. Since then, 407 organisations (including the largest organisations in the sector) have exited the process. So far, KOSI has recommended WRC uplift payments equating to a cumulative value of €75.83m, relating to uplifts for 22,942 workers

Negotiations regarding further pay funding for organisation in receipt of funding via section 39 arrangements are currently ongoing and it would be inappropriate to comment any further on the matter at this time.