Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I will pose some very clear questions to the Taoiseach in order that there will be no mistaking them. I will set out the logic of the workers, which is foolproof. Does the Taoiseach accept the outcome of the job evaluation? If he does, I presume he also accepts that the workers are being underpaid for the work they do. If he accepts that the workers are being underpaid for the work they do, why does the Government not simply agree to pay them? Why insist on delaying things by going to the Labour Court, or at least talking about going to the Labour Court? Why not simply pay the workers? How can the Government find the money to pay judges but not these low paid workers? How can it find the money to pay for the national broadband plan but not these hard-working low paid workers? How can it find the money to fund the national children's hospital hospital?

I congratulate the workers on taking strike action because it is clear that without it, the Government would just continue to delay and drag its feet. The strike action can force the Government to pay the workers what they are owed. The nurses would have won more concessions if they had not cancelled their three-day strike action. There is a lesson for the support workers looking to next week. Unless there is a clear commitment from the Government to pay what is owed, they should go ahead with their action next week, demonstrate their power once more and force the Government to pay up.

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