Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Many of us met advocates from the Irish Wheelchair Association yesterday. One of the issues they raised was the loss of personal assistants, PAs, and the difficulty in trying to get more. Some of this has to do with pay parity and pensions for workers in sections 38, 39, 56 and 10 bodies in the charity and voluntary sector. These skilled workers are voting with their feet and leaving in their droves, while others are not choosing to enter the sector. For people without PAs, it means losing their independence or not having it in the first place. For some, it will mean having to enter nursing homes instead of staying in their own homes. Will the Minister work with all of his colleagues to address this issue, which is coming down the line and is being raised not just by the Irish Wheelchair Association but by everyone in the voluntary and charity sector?

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