Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

For me, from having spoken with all of the section 39 workers, their issue is one which needs to be addressed. They are employed in voluntary not-for-profit healthcare organisations. They have undergone the same rigourous training and education as their counterparts in section 38 organisations staffed by the HSE workers. They work the same conditions, face the same challenges and shoulder the same responsibility but do not get the same pay.

That in itself, I say to the Minister of State, is unfair. It makes them feel rejected and makes them ask why should they do the same work and get less pay when they can go to the HSE and get more.

Also, everybody has the same bills and is facing very significant challenges now. While we are in a good place where everybody is doing their best and is working, every penny coming into a household now is crucial. We want to ensure that those section 39 organisations have the very same pay as section 38 organisations. I found from speaking to the section 39 workers that their morale was broken. That is why we have the very significant issues with staff, recruitment and retention.

I ask the Minister of State now again to go back to the Minister, Deputy Donohoe - again, I am raging he is not here - and ask him, as we need to know, what funding he will put through the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform to ensure that we do not have a strike on Tuesday because we are affecting the most vulnerable people and children in our society whom we need to ensure are looked after. As I said, section 39 organisation workers do not want to do this. They are so upset over it but they feel they have no choice but to do this now because it is not fair. They feel that they are not getting what they deserve and they deserve proper pay.

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