Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

68. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline his role and his Department’s role on the issue of pay parity for medical scientists; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4774/25]

Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As health sector employees, Medical Scientists fall under the remit of the HSE and Department of Health.

As Minister for Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, under section 22 of the Health Act of 2004, my consent must be sought in relation to the terms and conditions of employment, including terms and conditions relating to remuneration and allowances, of employees of the HSE.

In relation to the remuneration and allowances of HSE employees, as with all public servants, public service pay has been governed by a system of collective agreements since the Croke Park Agreement was negotiated in 2010.

Multi-year public service agreements have contributed to stability within our economy by facilitating ongoing reforms and maintaining industrial peace in the public service.

The current Public Service Agreement 2024 to 2026 seeks to achieve a balanced approach to public service pay that rewards the ongoing efforts of public servants, while ensuring the responsible management of public finances, enabling reform and changes to work practices to support the delivery of quality public services.

In terms of benefits, the current agreement provides for increases of 10.25% over a two-and-a-half-year period. This is made up of general round increases totalling 9.25%, as well as a provision for a Local Bargaining mechanism equivalent to 1% of the basic pay cost.

Lower paid public servants will see benefits in excess of this due to the targeted measures contained in the agreement. Over the lifetime of the agreement, the lowest paid public servants will see cumulative benefits of up to 17.3%, inclusive of the local bargaining provision. This is a progressive approach, which ensures that those who are most vulnerable to inflation and cost of living issues will see the greatest increase in their pay.

Officials from my Department represented the Government in the national pay talks in the WRC in December 2023 and January 2024. The subsequently ratified Public Service Agreement 2024-2026 provided for a number of industrial relations issues to be resolved. This included the implementation of a Labour Court Recommendation from June 2023 in respect of Medical Laboratory Scientists. This was implemented from 1 January 2024 and this matter is now resolved.

More generally, officials from my Department regularly meeting with Department of Health and HSE officials to ensure effective management of the relevant provisions of the pay agreements, to assist in the management of industrial relations matters and the dispute resolution process and to ensure terms and conditions are appropriate. Where issues arise, the Public Service Agreement sets out the dispute resolution process for resolving disagreements on matters. Where appropriate, my officials attend the WRC and Labour Court as part of this process.