Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I take everything the HSE says with a pinch of salt and a very good sprinkling of salt. The LRC agreement of 29 June indicated that the parties should enter into meaningful discussions on finalising a new agreement which should have been completed within one month of the date of recommendation, 29 June 2012. Allowing for the August holiday period, it should have been completed by the end of September. I hope the chairperson of the Labour Court takes this on board and moves ahead in the absence of the HSE. If the HSE does not come back by 30 November, I will be back here to ask about it in the House. The HSE will do everything to shilly-shally its way out of an agreement. I will not allow home helps across this country to be treated in a way that we had to fight against in the lock-out. The Minister of State will appreciated the historical import of the lock-out. It is time that the gloves come off. The HSE has been warned. It should become involved in the process in a meaningful way with people of stature and seniority who can conclude the agreement. The unions are prepared to be flexible as are the workers. They are even prepared to suggest solutions such as clustering of home help recipients so that a home help is not travelling ten miles to deliver the service but will stay within three or four miles. There are lots of money-saving suggestions. I agree that money is important but so are people's livelihoods and so are 39-hour contracts. People have families to rear and they cannot afford to have 20 hours taken away from them. I know the Minister of State has a particular interest in this area but I am sure he will expect there will be an agreement concluded by 30 November.

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