Fianna Fáil TD for North Tipperary and Northwest Kilkenny, Ryan O’Meara has called for immediate clarity regarding the employment contracts of local healthcare workers.
Last year, the new Nenagh Community Nursing Unit was taken over by the HSE to be used as a step-down facility for University Hospital Limerick. Bartra Healthcare, a private company, was contracted for a year to run this facility. As the contract nears its end later this month, Deputy Ryan O’Meara has been contacted by many concerned employees regarding their future employment status.
Deputy O’Meara, addressing the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll McNeill, stated, “On July 3rd, Bartra Healthcare informed their 74 employees that their employment contracts would be transferred to the HSE under the Transfer of Undertakings Employment Regulations. However, 41 of those employees wrote to me last Friday informing me that the HSE has still not confirmed if this is the case.
“There are 74 employees in this facility who have done excellent work as healthcare workers. Most of them are international. Many of them came to this country on visas to do this exact work, and they now do not know where they stand.
The Fianna Fáil TD acknowledged that he previously wrote to the Minister in this regard. He recognised it is not the government’s role to employ these workers, it is the job of the HSE. To conclude, Deputy O’Meara called for confirmation on three fronts: whether an agreement exists between Bartra Healthcare and the HSE, whether the Transfer of Undertakings Regulation applies in this situation, and assurance that this issue will not delay the transfer of the Nenagh Community Nursing Unit.
END
