Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that people will ask why the workers are on strike. Why would people who are looking after people who are so vulnerable withdraw their labour? It is precisely because they care so deeply about the people whom they care for, including those in drug services, disability services, homelessness services and section 56 organisations, whom I have worked with previously; those who care for those in care; and the most vulnerable children in the State. In 2008, these workers took the hit for the bankers and bondholders that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Green Party also backed. They expected rightly that when the time came, they would get their pay restored, would be treated like the public sector workers who also rightly got their pay restored and would be put on a par to where they were prior to 2008.

It is crazy that if this situation is not resolved and the workers do not get pay parity, these services could potentially close down. Then what would happen? The State would have to step in. What will happen when the State steps in? It will use public sector workers who have got their pay restoration to take over and provide these services for the most vulnerable. It is beyond credulity that we are now faced with a situation where workers have to go on strike next week when we know there is a solution.

We know there will be a solution to this. It should not be that the workers and the projects they are involved in are haemorrhaging staff. They have told us that time and again, but the Government has not listened. If it listened to the reason they are haemorrhaging staff, we would not in the position where the Minister of State is in the Chamber and people will be terrified this weekend as to what services they will get. I know staff will do their best and will look after basic services, but there are other things people need to help them get through the day that will not be there.

I plead with the Minister of State not to let this go to the wire. Let us deal with it over the weekend so that it is resolved by Monday and people will get the respect they deserve.

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