Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

My Labour Party colleagues and I were glad to stand in support of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association on picket lines outside hospitals around the country yesterday. I was glad to join members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association in hospitals in my constituency. We are all conscious that there are long-running issues that had driven the medical laboratory scientists to take this action. In some cases, these issues have been ongoing for 20 years or more. I refer, for example, to long-standing pay and career development issues. There is massive frustration and burnout among medical scientists over the problems with recruitment, retention and pay and conditions. I appeal to the Tánaiste to ensure that there is serious engagement by Government with the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association in order to ensure that this matter is resolved, that the issues which gave rise to the industrial action are addressed and that we do not see any escalation. Through Covid, we all have got a new appreciation of the vital importance of the work that medical scientists do.

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