Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

The two-tier pay discrimination is still very much in place. Apart from being bad news for young workers, it is bad news for our public services because the Minister cannot fill much-needed positions in the public service, partly because of low basic pay rates but also because of two-tier pay discrimination. In teaching, he cannot fill the positions in mathematics and information and communications technology, ICT. In the Defence Forces, he cannot fill the positions for engineer artificers. However, the impact of this on nursing was highlighted dramatically this week. According to information received by The Irish Times, the Bring Them Home campaign has attracted three nurses to return so far this year. Four years after a target was set to bring home 500 new nurses, 120 nurses, or less than 25% of the target, have come home. There is a global market. Ireland is not competitive and the question of two-tier pay is not helping in that regard.

It is clear what needs to be done. First, the Minister needs to increase basic pay rates for these grades and, second, he must end the scandal of two-tier pay, not just for young workers but for our public services.

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