Results 421-440 of 1,055,875 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Hildegarde Naughton OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:John Lahart)

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Is it happening? That is the next question. Is it happening today at all?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Again, I take it from the answer that it is happening but in a more limited way than previously. Is that fair to say?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: No, that is exactly what I just said.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Ms McGirr mentioned that the first option in these instances is for rest leave to be provided in lieu. I am not sure of any worker in any scenario who, given a choice of getting six hours pay for 15 minutes, essentially, or an alternative hour off, would not take the former. In this instance, the witnesses indicated that monitoring may be in place now. When a member of staff works these...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: In terms of the monitoring, Mr. Gloster is right that it may be a small number but the figures are astronomical. How far up the line does the monitoring go? Is the CFO, for example, informed that there could be a potential outlay as a result of a member of staff having worked these hours and provision not being in place to prevent him or her with a rest period in lieu?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: I always have to try to decipher the answers from the HSE. I take it the answer to the question is that it is not elevated to Mr. Mulvany's office in terms of where these-----

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Even though there could be-----

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: -----a considerable outlay happening in real time, Mr. Mulvany is not informed until after the fact. Is that fair to say?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: I am conscious of time. I want to touch on what might be a fringe issue. It was reported during the summer that the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, made a finding in favour of an administrative worker in the HSE being allocated the pandemic bonus payment during the summer. Are any of the witnesses aware of that?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: The reason I asked the question is that I am relying on media reports to find out that an administrative worker who had been denied the pandemic bonus payment brought a case to the WRC, which found in that person's favour. Has that result led to a reconsideration of the pandemic bonus payment actually being paid? I take it that none of the witnesses are even aware there was a WRC finding...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Has Mr. Gloster not received any correspondence from, for example, the staff members of the Irish Blood Transfusion Service, or has the Department in respect of the fact that-----

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: It has.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Is that being re-evaluated considering that those staff did very important work during the pandemic period?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Does Ms McGirr have a fear that perhaps that could lead to litigation or a WRC case that could actually end up costing more than providing the payment to what is a fairly limited workforce who were doing essential work during the pandemic period?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: However, I am sure Ms McGirr can understand that because the numbers are so large, when we are dealing with a small group of workers-----

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: -----who were carrying out essential work during the pandemic, including literally sticking needles in people's arms at very close proximity, there could be a lot of resentment of the fact that they have been excluded.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: It was limited to the health services.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: During that period, the Department would accept that the Irish Blood Transfusion Service staff were working in close proximity-----

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2023: Health Service Executive (24 Oct 2024)

Matt Carthy: Rather than just getting the detail, I would ask that the Department fully review that situation. As I said, these were people who carried out what in my view was essential work. It was as risky as other types of work within the health services who fall under the scope of the scheme. These are employees who we need to continue to do very important work. I just have a fear that we could...