asked the Minister for Health if he is now in a position to make a statement on the proposals made to him by a deputation representing the mental hospital section of the Irish Local Government Officials' Union, with a view to having an improvement effected in the salary scales applicable to mental hospital officials.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Salary Scales of Mental Hospital Officials.
The proposals put forward by the deputation from the Union which I received on 23rd March last were identical with proposals submitted to me by the Union in October, 1948, and involved the revision of the salary scales of a large number of groups of mental hospital officers. When I agreed to receive the deputation I had already informed the union that any claim to adjustment of remuneration must be dealt with on the basis of the principles applied to the remuneration of officers of central and local authorities and that to single out mental hospital officers for special concessions would involve unfair discrimination as between these officers and other officers of local authorities.
I have since carefully considered the proposals again. The scales of remuneration of the staffs concerned were the subject of careful review in 1947 when revised scales were introduced, and since that date these officers have, in common with other local authority officials, received an upward revision of salary by way of temporary bonus. I do not feel that I would be justified in present circumstances in agreeing to a further upward revision for these officers as a class in isolation from the other classes of local authority officers for whom I am responsible, but I am considering the claims made in respect of two classes in relation to the remuneration paid to corresponding grades in other branches of the public service.