Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Many great things are happening in our health service. While I acknowledged earlier the great pressure being caused by the current state of the housing market in respect of tenants, people who are homeless and people who want to buy a home, more homes are being built and more planning permissions are being granted.

To deal with the issue the Deputy has raised, that matter is now back in the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC. While it is in the WRC, it would not be appropriate to comment on it because that has been dealt with by mediation.

The reason it is different from other parts of the health service is the individuals who work in section 39 organisations work for employers other than the State. That is why they are section 39 organisations. I might share with the Deputy some of the figures involved in the implementation of a move to the State paying all future wage increases across all organisations, and the revenue consequences of that. I can tell the Deputy they are many multiples of the €1 million she referred to earlier. However, the matter is back in the WRC. I appreciate and have had first-hand experiences, as we all have had, of the work they do locally and within constituencies. I hope the issue can be resolved within the WRC.