Mr. Tony O'Brien:

The same guidance as applies to public employees is available. Arising from the section 38 audit, which led to a request from the Health Service Executive, via the Department of Health, for clarification on public sector pay as it related to section 38 organisations, the Department provided us with a letter, which it asked us to circulate to section 39 organisations confirming, as I stated, that employees of section 39 organisations are not public employees and that section 39 organisations are not bound by public pay policy, but asking them to have due regard to public pay policy.