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

The unions that represent tens of thousands of workers in the voluntary and community sector have announced that they will be lodging a pay claim for a 3% rise. These are workers who provide essential services in our communities. They care for older people, people with disabilities and people with addiction. They also work in homeless clubs, homeless services and homework clubs and I could go on. They do this work on the cheap from the point of view of the State. Many of them are precariously employed with no pension cover or sick pay and they have suffered from pay cuts since 2008. The least they deserve is a 3% pay rise. Will the Taoiseach agree to meet their unions and will the Government agree to their claim?

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