Mr. Bernard Gloster:

Section 38 organisations are a necessary part of the service footprint. You could not flick a switch tomorrow and change that. Some of them are very big organisations, both in the disability space and in the voluntary hospitals. I believe there is room for how we look at how we use that resource and how we better get the full benefit of it. To be fair to them, however, I would say that the same applies to ourselves. That is the first thing.

The origin and history the section 39 agencies are very different. Some of them are very small organisations that started with goodwill by a parent of maybe somebody with a disability and they have grown into being service providers. They are a serious part of our service footprint. I know they are in the middle of an industrial action process at the moment, so, in fairness, I do not want to precipitate that, but there is a 5% offer on the table with a retrospection back to last April of a smaller percentage. My preference would be that the section 39 agencies that are service providers would be able to arrive at a place where they could have sustainability. I see Deputy Verona Murphy. I spent a day in Wexford with two outstanding section 39 agencies. If their sustainability becomes compromised, my service falls.