Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the service providers and representatives for coming here today. I will speak about what section 39 workers in County Limerick mean to me. The father of the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, was a founding member of St. Joseph's Foundation in Charleville. We are very fortunate to have access to the St. Joseph's Foundation in Granagh, where I am from. It has been there for many years. It now also has an equestrian therapy centre. On 1 October, singer-songwriter Brian Kennedy will come to St. Joseph's, as he does every year. He will perform there as part of the Liam O'Connor Show. One of the songs that he sings every time he comes there is "Life, Love and Happiness". These people, and all the section 39 workers, give life, love and happiness to everyone who uses their services. I hope the Government can see how important they are to us.

Enable Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association and Rathfredagh Cheshire Home all offer fantastic services in County Limerick. All they are looking for is pay parity. They are paid 9.5% less than their counterparts in the HSE, who do the same job as them. In 2010, workers took a pay cut because there was a financial crisis. Section 38 and 39 workers took a pay cut; section 38 workers had it reversed after some time but the Government left section 39 workers behind. These are the same people with whom I am involved all year round doing fundraisers. The welcome we get when we go to their centres is uplifting, as is the happiness that meets you at the door thanks to what these people do. They not only work, they go above and beyond and create a family structure and environment for which they do not get any recognition. The Government and Opposition Deputies who are present in the House all agree that they should get pay parity. For people who think they want to strike for more money, they do not. They want to make sure they get the same pay as the people in the HSE who do the same work as them. It is the same as the smaller private nursing homes, the staff of which have also been up here. What has the HSE been guilty of? It allowed agencies to bring people in and train them up for six months. After that, the HSE poaches them and gives them the section 38 wage. It does not want to bring section 39 workers up to the relevant pay grade because it will not be able to get them to work for it because there is no place to work like the organisations for which they work; it is a family.

If something is not done by Tuesday, day services for adults with intellectual disabilities will close, as will most of the residential sites for adults and children with intellectual disabilities. There will be huge reductions in services provided by disability teams for children with intellectual disabilities. This will increase waiting lists and put additional stress on families. In addition, it will stop students in training from graduating because they will not be able to get placements. None of those people want to strike. This did not happen yesterday or 12 months ago. They have been looking for pay parity since 2010 and recognition for the work they do, and they even go above and beyond.

The Minister was there the other night when people from Cliona's Foundation came to the House and heard from them about the work it does. I hold all of these people on the same level as everyone the Minister heard in that room. There were tears in his eyes when they spoke the other night, when Cliona's parents spoke about her. There was not a dry eye in that room. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for organising such an event. The same thing is happening in this case. We cannot allow these people to go on strike on Tuesday. It will not be their fault; it will be the Government's fault if it happens. With a heavy heart, I ask the Minister to get this sorted before Tuesday and to give these people the recognition they deserve. They go above and beyond what any other workers would do. I thank them from the bottom of my heart for what they do. I ask the Minister to please get this sorted before Tuesday and give these people the pay parity they so richly deserve.

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