St John of God issues quit notice to HSE
by Niall Shanahan
 
In a letter to the union, SJOG human resource director Bernadette Shevlin said the organisation had a deficit of nearly €38 million.
In a letter to the union, SJOG human resource director Bernadette Shevlin said the organisation had a deficit of nearly €38 million.

St John of God (SJOG) community services has issued 12 months’ notice of its intention to terminate its contract with the HSE.

 

The HSE-funded provider of intellectual disability and mental health services employs more than 300 staff in a variety of grades represented by Fórsa.

 

The news came as it was reported that HSE chief Paul Reid has flagged serious concerns about the deteriorating finances of ‘section 38’ and ‘section 39’ community and voluntary health and disability service providers.

 

The Irish Times reported this week that he had told top health officials of a “systemic challenge” in terms of cost overruns and deficits, and had advised the Government to offer incentives to facilitate the consolidation of some voluntary agencies in the sector.

 

In a letter to the union, SJOG human resource director Bernadette Shevlin said the organisation had a deficit of nearly €38 million.

 

It wants the Government to “address the accumulated deficit, our current funding gap and the funding required to develop our services in line with national policy,” she said.

 

Ms Shevlin said the notice will result in the transfer of all SJOG services to the HSE, or to a provider identified by the HSE over the next year. She told the union that there would be no immediate changes in service delivery, and pledged “ongoing communication” with Fórsa.

 

Union official Seán McElhinney said Fórsa was considering the decision of SJOG. “Staff and service-users they care for will be anxious and uncertain following this news. We will be prioritising their needs, above all else, as we determine our response,” he said.

 

Seán said Fórsa would insist that members’ pay and working conditions, which are aligned with directly-employed HSE staff, must be protected.

 

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