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

I return to the issue I raised earlier on the proposed action in the community and voluntary care sector. The Taoiseach's response to me will give little reassurance to those parents who are relying on services provided by Enable Ireland and to those relying on services provided by organisations that provide such vital services to so many across the country. All he said in response to me was that Tusla and the HSE are preparing to make contingencies. That has the sound of a let-them-eat-cake approach to a collapsing care system and is simply not good enough. I did not hear from the Taoiseach an indication of engagement to ensure that the action will not go ahead on 17 October.

We need to debate in this House with the Taoiseach, the Minister for Health, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and Ministers who are directly responsible for the provision of these services. We need to have a debate on this so that we can ensure that the action will not go ahead on 17 October and that pay parity will be restored because it is such a vital issue and it cuts across so many areas. When we say the community and voluntary sector, it sometimes sounds like a vague thing, but these are people providing services on the ground in all our communities.

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