Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 June 2026
845. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health if her Department was consulted by the HSE prior to the decision not to implement the Labour Court recommendation regarding the restoration of the historic pay linkage between perfusionists and medical scientists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44967/26]
View answer846. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health her views on whether refusal to accept a Labour Court recommendation may undermine confidence in the State’s Industrial Relations Framework; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44968/26]
View answer849. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health if her Department anticipate difficulty in recruiting and retaining perfusionists arising from the removal of the historic pay linkage; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44971/26]
View answer851. Deputy Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh asked the Minister for Health if she will publish analysis underpinning the decision to reject the implementation of the Labour Court recommendation regarding perfusionists; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44973/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 845, 846, 849 and 851 together.
The Department of Health and the HSE accept in full the Labour Court recommendation regarding the pay claim by Perfusionists and are supportive of implementing the proposed pay adjustment as soon as possible. The only debate is how this can be funded. Under the Public Service Agreement, all cost-increasing claims must be addressed through the agreed Local Bargaining process.
Significant funding has been made available to Fórsa to deal with claims via local bargaining (over €60m) and the annual cost to resolve this claim is relatively modest, so could easily be resolved through this mechanism. It is therefore disappointing that Fórsa has elected to proceed with industrial action, and to date, declined to engage with the mechanism specifically designed to resolve claims of this nature. As this is an ongoing Industrial relations matter it would be inappropriate to comment further.
