Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Government very much acknowledges the essential work of support staff in hospitals to allow them to operate. As somebody who worked for four or five years in the public hospital system, I know the value of their work. Whether they are healthcare assistants, maternity assistants, porters, laboratory aides or people working in central sterile services departments or as instrument staff or cleaners, hospitals do not function without such essential support staff. We want to ensure they are paid adequately and that they feel fulfilled in their roles.

As the Deputy acknowledged, this is an industrial relations dispute. There are different interpretations as to how the job evaluation scheme was to be dealt with and it is worth considering the exact wording of what was agreed in that regard. Discussions were under way and took place at the WRC, adjourning only last night. The strike can be averted but the best way for that to happen is to use the industrial relations machinery in place, the exact same institution that averts or ends most, if not all, strikes, namely, the Labour Court. The Government and the employer in this case - the HSE - are willing for the matter to be brought before the Labour Court to allow the court to hear all sides of the argument and make a recommendation. If that is done, the strike on Thursday can be avoided. That is the best way forward to avoid disruption to patients and to the functioning of hospitals, and it will allow us to resolve the outstanding issues of the dispute. We would welcome a referral to the Labour Court at this stage.

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