Most state-funded agencies ‘agree to meet salary scales’

The majority of State-funded voluntary hospitals and health agencies have confirmed they will comply with Department of Health salary scales, Minister for Health James Reilly told the Dáil yesterday.

The voluntary hospitals and health agencies, known as “section 38” organisations, were given until January 31st to confirm they would sign up to the HSE’s new “compliance statement process”, which included confirmation that all staff were paid in accordance with the department’s “consolidated salary scales”.

Deadline
Dr Reilly said a majority had already complied by the deadline and "a small number are expected to confirm this shortly". Meetings had been held recently with agencies not in compliance to ensure they "develop a clear plan to reach compliance as quickly as possible".

A total of 26 agencies had made a “business case for the retention of unapproved allowances or of allowances in payment for more than five years” and the HSE has established a review panel to assess the merits of these cases, he said.

Dr Reilly was speaking during health question time in the Dáil about developments on the controversy about top-up payments and allowances to senior executives at State-funded section 38 agencies.

Rehab chief
Sinn Féin health spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked if the board of Rehab, the disabilities charity, had informed the Minister of the chief executive's salary, pointing to the last known figure in 2011 of €230,000 a year. The Cavan- Monaghan TD said Rehab had claimed the HSE did not request the chief executive's specific salary.

Dr Reilly said Rehab was a “section 39” agency – part-funded by the State – and “accordingly it is not subject to public pay policy”.

But he and the Government believed “those organisations and charities in receipt of major taxpayer funding, anything over €250,000, should be in line with those pay policies”.