Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I echo what Deputy Dillon has said. I thank the Minister of State for taking this issue this morning. It is a pity that the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, himself is not present to listen to us.

Section 39 workers in our healthcare service are at the coalface morning, noon and night. I spoke to some of the service users in the Irish Wheelchair Association, IWA, in Tipperary town the other day. I listened to the service users, who said that from the time they wake up in the morning to the time they go to bed at night, they are dependent on section 39 workers to get them out of bed, wash them and take them shopping. They are the most vulnerable and marginalised in our society. If this strike goes ahead, it will put untold pressure on them. I spoke to workers who do not under any circumstances want to face going on strike. However, as Deputy Dillon said, it is 2008 since they got a pay rise. After 2008, when the push came, they took two cuts. All they are looking for is pay parity. We are all talking about the cost of living, etc. However, if there is a difference of €4.20 per hour between the section 39 workers and the HSE workers, it is a no-brainer that once they are trained to a certain level, the HSE will poach them. Then, all the services, such as the IWA, the resource centres and all the places where section 39 workers work are being drained of staff. It is completely wrong.

I hope the Minister of State will bring this issue back to the Minister. It must not be a case of giving them a piecemeal percentage of a rise to try to solve this. The least that these workers are entitled to is pay parity. They are doing the same type of work as those in the public sector working for the HSE and so on. Again, I am ash the Minister of State to bring this issue back strongly to the Minister.

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