Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate my colleague, Deputy Calleary, on bringing forward this critical motion. The section 39 organisations and their workers have been providing vital services across the country for many years.

In County Wicklow St. Catherine's Association is well known. The National Learning Network in Bray provides vital resources for people who have had accidents and those with an illness or a disability. The Irish Wheelchair Association is very active in County Wicklow. Enable Ireland is very active in Bray. These bodies are critical to the local community, particularly people with disabilities and those with a wide range of other issues.

What happened? The pay of the staff was linked with public sector pay levels. We know this because there is a Labour Court judgment to that effect. During the crash the organisations were instructed to reduce staff wages just like in public sector bodies. Although public sector wage levels are going back up and restoration is occurring, workers in section 39 organisations are not getting an increase.

I acknowledge that the Government is not going against Fianna Fáil's motion. I put it to the Minister of State, however, that the statement from the Government is utterly disingenuous. It claims the cuts had nothing to do with the HSE in terms of how the organisations passed on the cuts. We all know that is not true. The wages of section 39 workers were linked with public sector pay levels and that the organisations had to reduce wage levels in line with the FEMPI legislation. We all know that happened, but now the Government is stating it is not really the case and that if the organisations want to increase wages, it has nothing to do with it. Of course, it does because the money comes from it to do so.

I ask the Government to rethink seriously, acknowledge in the House that there was a link and acknowledge the work of section 39 organisation staff and that their pay should be restored as it is for their colleagues in the public sector.

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