Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 December 2025
423. Deputy Pádraig Rice asked the Minister for Health the steps she is taking to ensure that a 2023 Workplace Relations Commission pay agreement is urgently implemented for staff employed by an organisation (details supplied); the engagements she has had with unions, the HSE and Caredoc to resolve this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [73110/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraCaredoc staff represented by SIPTU and the INMO recently announced their intention to undertake industrial action with a series of work stoppages commencing on the 18th December 2025, as the organisation has refused to pass on a settlement to their staff that was reached under the auspices of the WRC in March 2025.
There were two pay deals for community and voluntary workers agreed in the WRC, firstly in October 2023 (8%) and secondly in March 2025 (9.25%). Co-operatives established to provide GP out-of-hours services, such as Caredoc, do not receive their funding from the HSE through section 39 grant arrangements, and were therefore not in scope of the WRC agreements. This was accepted by the unions in finalising the deal at the WRC. GP Out of Hours services are provided under the terms of the GMS contract between the HSE and individual GPs. This contract is governed by Section 58 of the Health Act. It was made clear that the model of funding, including pay funding for staff in these organisations, will be determined as part of the Strategic Review of General Practice that is currently underway.
However, in the interim the HSE committed under the auspices of the WRC in March 2025 to provide an additional funding allocation of €1.7m to Caredoc (South-East), ShannonDoc and Southdoc to ensure the maintenance of a sustainable workforce, of which €647,000 was allocated to Caredoc (South-East). This commitment has been fully honoured, and the additional funding has already issued to these organisations. It is regrettable that Caredoc has to date refused to pass this funding on to its employees.
The most straight forward resolution of the strike action is that Caredoc immediately pay over the funding provided for the staff in Caredoc South-East, as the failure to comply with the WRC settlement is the basis of the unions industrial action. CareDoc have agreed to return to mediation with the HSE, and I would urge them to continue to engage through this process to bring this matter to a resolution as quickly as possible in the interest of the service users.
