Thomas Pringle (Donegal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Department of Health disability capacity review commits to providing sustainable quality services for all users, yet none of this can happen if voluntary organisations cannot recruit and retain the staff needed to deliver their existing funded services. Over two thirds of all disability services are delivered by the voluntary sector, with their terms and conditions covered under section 39. On the ground in Donegal, organisations and workers are telling me there is a disparity in pay and conditions between section 39-funded organisations and their HSE and section 38 counterparts. This is fuelling the recruitment and retention problems they face. Workers do not feel valued and organisations are at crisis point.

It is not good enough to continue to take a hands-off approach or say it is a matter for the organisations as employers when the Government knows their funding comes exclusively from the HSE and Department of Health and, ultimately is sanctioned by the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Will the Taoiseach commit to getting the appropriate Ministers, the HSE and the representative bodies around the table to finally address the pay disparity of section 39 organisations?

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