Community psychiatric nurses could receive additional ‘€5,000’

Psychiatric nurses working in the community could receive additional payments of about €5,000 under new proposals being considered as part of talks with the HSE.

Up to 250 psychiatric nurses could benefit from the proposed initiative which is yet to be formally agreed on.

The proposals have emerged from talks between the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA), Siptu and the HSE to resolve a dispute over recruitment and staffing levels in the mental health areas.

The PNA has been engaged in a limited campaign of industrial action over recent weeks as part of this dispute.

An allowance of €5,000 for psychiatric nurses working in the community rather than in hospitals was abolished for new entrants recruited after 2012.

At the same time dozens of other allowances were also scrapped for new public service staff, leading to the current controversy over a two-tier pay system in parts of the public service.

The proposed new payment “which recognises the role played by psychiatric nurses in the community” would be expected to be broadly similar to the level of the allowancepaid to staff taken on prior to 2012.

Revised pay

The previous government approved a deal under which recently-recruited firefighters would have the equivalent of the value of allowances lost in 2012 re-incorporated into a revised pay scale. This would be in return for co-operation with reforms and backing the Lansdowne Road pay agreement.

A spokesman for the PNA said the proposed new payment would be “a unique arrangement”. He said this would take account of the roles of psychiatric nurses in the community in light of the closure of beds in hospitals over recent years.

In a bulletin to members, the Psychiatric Nurses Association said the proposal had been agreed at the Workplace Relations Commission on Wednesday.

“It is acknowledged by all parties to the process that the role of the nurse in mental health is unique and that this payment is reflective of this uniqueness.”

Talks on the additional payment as well a number of other issues are continuing. The Psychiatric Nurses Association has suspended any further escalation of its industrial action pending the outcome of the current talks process.