Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

That is a scandalous answer from the Minister of State on behalf of the Government. He said: "As far as the Government is concerned, there are sufficient unions already available to ambulance staff." As my colleague, Deputy Bríd Smith said, we do not care what the Government thinks about which unions workers should be in. The workers decided that their membership of SIPTU was not sufficient and they set up NASRA. That is their right. It is not 350 but 500 of them who are in NASRA and it is outrageous that a public sector employer would not negotiate or deal with the union of choice of its workers. It is absolutely scandalous and what message does it send to employers such as Lloyds Bank, Tesco, etc.? It sends a message that the Government will actively encourage the kind of union busting, derecognition tactics that are ongoing. It is scandalous and anyone who would call him or herself a trade unionist and would participate in a Government that would stand over such a line is making a big mistake. The HSE is making a big mistake. It is opening up and it will be faced with two different fronts where it is taking on the nurses on the one hand while, on the other, NASRA would be absolutely correct to take further action.

The Minister of State's response is full of holes and spin. Ministers spend much time on spin. More than 500 members of NASRA are in the paramedic and ambulance service. That figures obviously relates to what the HSE gave the Minister because it refused to take new members in the last year. However, new members have been joining because they are not happy with their current representation. The fact that the number involved is only 350 odd has nothing to do with the discussion. UNITE, which is recognised, represents 100 paramedics nationally. That point has nothing to do with the discussion. The spin the Minister of State is putting on the matter is quite outrageous.

I was really shocked by the Minister of State's comment to the effect that "As far as the Government is concerned, there are sufficient unions [already] available ... and it does not intend to recognise this group." I understood that, according to earlier discourse and according to what the union has told us, it was a decision of the HSE. Now we have it in black and white that it is the Government that is blocking the recognition of these workers. As the strike escalates, and it will, let this be on the Minister for Health's head, just as the proposed strike action by nurses the scandal relating to the national children's hospital are on his head. This Government is outrageous when it comes to health.

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