Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Rural Independents, I want to condemn both sides in Israel - the horrific attack by Hamas and, indeed, the ongoing response of the Israelis - and the death of that young Irish citizen. It is horrific.

I want to ask the Tánaiste how come the Government had a budget this week and it did not even mention these workers who are going on strike next week. Forced to go on the picket line, they do not want to go on the picket line. They are the best carers out there looking after our elderly, vulnerable, sick children, wheelchair users and everybody else, and they are forced to go on the picket line in tears to get parity of esteem with their HSE colleagues, who get €4 an hour extra doing the same work in the same settings. This is shocking, and we had a budget that ignored them completely. This budget - I do not know what planet the Government is on - ignored the fact of these workers and the impending strike and it will force them out onto the picket line to get basic human rights - parity of esteem in pay. The Government did not treat them well in the budget - low-paid workers anyway.

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