Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We welcome the Bill, which is long overdue. We will support its main thrust. I understand some quarters put a spin on this, but the reality is that it is about workers' rights and it is a workers' rights issue.

Legislators, as Members of the House, are responsible for many things. One of the things for which we are responsible is workers' rights. We have to stand up for the staff we employ, because if we do not do that, who will? At the end of the day, the secretarial assistants working in our staff and constituency offices around the country are at the coal face of everything we do. Everyone acknowledges and understands that. They deal with, for example, people who are upset because a husband has been diagnosed with cancer, and they are trying and failing to get a medical card because they are being put through all kinds of hoops by the relevant Department. Secretarial assistants in constituency offices are those who make the phone calls, send the emails and stay late in the evening to try to sort through the issue and get all of the documentation together to help and coach people through the process.

In my constituency, they deal with farmers who have difficulties and cannot get grants, whose payments are late and who are in trouble with banks and loans. They deal with myriad situations that nobody could imagine. As well as being the people who send emails, make representations, write notes down and click "Send" on computers, they are counsellors because they are dealing with people on a daily basis. The fact that they are so poorly remunerated is one of many scandals in politics.

The cost of living has gone through the roof in this country. People who are working hard and trying to manage on salaries that are quite low are finding it difficult because they have nothing to fall back on. They find it difficult to pay rent, meet mortgage payments, pay car loans, get their children through school and do all of the things they have to do to try to manage life. It is a real struggle for people. If these amendments are accepted and implemented, we can change things for secretarial assistants.

This Bill goes some way towards righting the wrongs of the FEMPI legislation introduced by a previous Government, which punished public servants for something that, in reality, they had nothing to do with. Secretarial and parliamentary assistants had their wages cut and frozen due to that legislation, and none of their previous experience or education was taken into account. As the Minister knows, a secretarial assistant earns a starting salary of €24,423 per year, which equates to approximately €11.75 per hour. That is well below the living wage of €12.90 per hour. Many are earning such low salaries that they qualify for family income support or supplement, which is happening in other workplaces in the public and private sector all over the country. Many Deputies will wring their hands, and say there is nothing we can do about this and it is out of our control. This is something we can control. The Minister needs to resolve this issue.

The fact that SIPTU had to lodge a pay claim at the WRC says it all in respect of where we are at. Since my election in 2020, I have handed back three pay increases, as did many other Deputies. That reflects the reality of the situation. I am paid well enough for this job. I am privileged to represent the constituency I represent. The staff who work in constituency and parliamentary offices are also privileged to represent constituents and do the work they do. They are delighted to do the work, and want and are eager to do it, and it is a scandal that they are so poorly paid. They enjoy their work. They find it rewarding that they can make a difference to people's lives, as all of us in politics do. People, even in local politics, have always found that, more than anything else, is the reward we get for this job. When somebody comes into the office in a difficult situation, it may take a week, a fortnight or a month but we are able to help that person and make a big difference to his or her life as they move forward. I think it was Bill Clinton who said, "Money isn't everything, but it is up there with oxygen." That is true, but at the same time there are things money cannot buy, such as the sense of self-achievement and self-worth we get from helping somebody. I know secretarial and parliamentary assistants also get that, and that is something we all need to acknowledge, but their remuneration needs to change.

People in offices around the country are working on low wages. We need to recognise that. We also need to recognise that while money is not everything, it is an awful lot if one does not have enough of it. It is a big problem for very many people out there who do not have enough money and are struggling to get by. There is no point telling them not to go out for lunch and instead bring sandwiches to work. That is some people's answer to this problem. That is not the answer. The answer is to pay people properly. I implore the Minister to support the amendments and ensure that the Bill makes a difference for those people who do very hard work and make such a positive difference to so many people in constituency offices up and down the country.

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