The Minister, Department of Health, they said a strict line of communications was in place but didn’t say what that is. Between December and early March, it was quite intensive engagement: what should the living wage be how should we pay for mileage and legacy-rate reform? In March, everyone stopped talking to us. “We started talking to the HSE in earnest in December last year. But he added that those talks stopped in March 2023. Mr Musgrave acknowledged that there had been engagement from the Health Service Executive on the living wage and legacy payments from December last year. “It is anticipated that the authorisation scheme will commence in mid-August 2023 subject to completion of the formal internal HSE approval process.”

The spokeswoman said that department approval is subject to several reforms, including travel time, addressing the living wage and reforming legacy rates. The new proposal, which has been accepted, will mean pay rates rise to €31 per hour.Īn HSE spokeswoman said the Department of Health had approved its tender offer be progressed to an “authorisation scheme”. Last month, a tender offer of €28.50 per hour was advanced and then withdrawn by the HSE. More than 40,000 people receive care through these organisations, which was charged to the HSE at an hourly rate of €26.50.

The majority of homecare provided in the State is supplied by HCCI members and the National Community Care Network. According to Mr Musgrave, the HSE has “refused to state what they mean by a living wage” and has “refused to engage with the sector to calculate travel time”. HCCI chief executive Joseph Musgrave said accepting the offer was a “responsible step” but that several issues including paid travel time for care providers remain unresolved in the agreement.ĭuring pay talks, which began in 2022, care providers called for a living wage as well as an allowance for travel time and mileage. However, Home and Community Care Ireland (HCCI), a representative body for private homecare companies, has said it will continue campaigning for amendments to the new agreement before it comes into effect on August 14th. A dispute that threatened services to more than 40,000 recipients of private home care countrywide has moved closer to resolution after private homecare providers accepted a tender offer from the Health Service Executive.

Butler health network