Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State's prepared script, as it has already been described, is absolutely unacceptable. It contains an acknowledgement of the right to membership of a trade union yet the Minister of State indicated that this membership does not give rise to any right to recognition by the employer. It is difficult to believe that she is seeking to justify the failure of some to recognise the right to free collective bargaining, due recognition and membership of a trade union. This is the State, it is the Government. Surely what has been stated must give great comfort to those who wish to ride roughshod over the rights and interests of the many workers across this land. The sentence to the effect that any recognition of the PNA with regard to ambulance personnel could have a serious detrimental effect on industrial relations in the health sector needs to be expanded on and explained.

What are we talking about? Is it the case that the Minister is not prepared to instruct the HSE, as he should do, to recognise the PNA and its NASRA branch as a representative body for the ambulance personnel who are members of that branch, and that there are perhaps other influences or pressures that would prevent that action happening? That is a very serious situation and that is what is implicit in this document the Minister of State has read into the record. It is incumbent on the other named entities to clarify their position. When I stood with the PNA NASRA branch workers on their strike on 15 February, I was very encouraged by the fact they had colleagues from SIPTU there with them, shoulder to shoulder, workers together.

See this speech in context