Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

This is an important motion which has been brought forward by the Labour Party and I compliment it on doing so. I wholeheartedly support the community and voluntary sector. The people working in that sector have not had a wage increase in 14 years. What other section would put up with that? These people are the glue and the building blocks that keep our country together. In many cases, these are voluntary boards. What is the Government doing? As with pyrite and mica, it is devastating these communities because it does not care about them, does not respect them and does not support them. Ní neart go cur le chéile. This is what the Government does not do.

I wish to be a bit parochial and to talk about our community employment scheme in Newcastle. It has been in place since 1996. I pay tribute to the late Alice O'Shea. She was our treasurer until a few months ago. Fuair sí bás at 93. She was still our treasurer then and had a very active mind. She was signing cheques and doing everything for us weekly. I salute the other members of the voluntary board, including Tom Lonergan, the late Martin Lonergan, Liam Kelly and others. We have the supervisor, Sean Byrne. A wide range of skills evident in the three parishes of Ballybacon-Grange, Newcastle and Ballymacarbry in Contae Phort Láirge. I salute the work they do in the community, including with the Tidy Towns, the naíonra, the flourishing one we have in Caisleán Nua, in the community hall and the new extension to the Muintir na Tire hall, as well as the brilliant work done by Catherine Moran and the participants.

Turning then to the community alert groups who are visiting the elderly, we have a participant, James O'Neill, spearheading the property-marking project throughout the country. This initiative was recently launched in Monaghan, but it is being spearheaded from a small place in Caisleán Nua. We also have Tigh na nDaoine, which is a community house. The national roll-out of the property-marking scheme is taking place from that little village on the River Suir. Tremendous work is being done by the voluntary committee that keeps that organisation afloat.

That is very onerous. The supervisor of the team is Sean Byrne. There is dignity in the work and we have had progression. They have moved on to many other degrees and taken on other projects. Above all, I am aware of the care that they give and the love and passion they have for their job. They love going to work and playing a part. They are being hived off at different ages and it is a battle to retain them. We have had a significant rate of progression. The Airí might listen rather than talking among themselves. The Ministers should have an understanding of what the workers do and support them, not betray them and dismiss them. It is shocking that they are waiting 14 years for a pay increase. Mar focal scoir, I thank Michael Ormond, Stephen Burke and Catherine Corbett in the Department of Social Protection. We would not function without them. They are understanding officials and we appreciate that.

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