THERE is no reliable indication as to the level of interest in the Mid West to the voluntary redundancy and early retirement scheme, being offered to HSE staff.
Despite the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen’s Dail statement that 900 expressions of interest had been received in the first 24 hours, no details on the local take-up will be available until staff have had the opportunity to consider the exit schemes.
Said a HSE spokesperson: “After that we expect to see applications come in. We have a freephone advice service and staff have until November 19 to send in applications, if they opt for one or other of the schemes”.
The early retirement/severance schemes are available to management and administrative grades, as well as support staff and, according to the HSE, are designed to achieve reduction in the numbers employed in these grades from January 1 in order to help maintain essential front-line services.
However, according to Andy Pike, assistant general secretary of Impact, they are seeking more time “for employees to make up their minds and also for the services to adjust in light of eventual departures”.
Commenting to the Limerick Post, he said:
“There could be redeployment if the offer is taken up substantially – some of the positions will be in crucial areas and many of the jobs that will need to be filled are specialist ones.
“At present, people are checking their entitlements and the Union is seeking a Labour Court hearing in relation to securing an extension of the period of consideration – we want the HSE to meet with the Unions in five days.
“We should be targeting areas where there’s a surplus of staff – that way we will end up with 300 or 400 gaps in the services in the Mid West
“The redundancy package is on the basis of a maximum of two years salary, some of which will be taxed – there’s three weeks pay per year of service capped at 12 years, which is much less than achievable in the private sector or the other semi-state organisations”.
