Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the matter, which the Government has been working intensively to resolve in recent weeks and months. The sustainability and stability of health and social care sectors and the impact of industrial action on essential services is a concern for the Government. I am particularly aware that staff recruitment and retention challenges have been affecting the sustainability and stability of the section 39 and section 56 organisations, and their ability to deliver services on behalf of the State.

Following intensive talks under the auspices of the Workplace Relations Commission, parties to the process, including the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth and the Department of Health, reached a pay agreement with unions. Sometimes it is wrong to name people but we had officials there and they played a phenomenal role - Colm, James, David, Anthony and Garry. The unions were representing section 39, section 56 and section 10 organisations. I thank the representative bodies from the unions for their role in achieving the successful outcome early this morning.

The agreement, which unions have indicated will be put to their members, proposes an 8% increase over three phases: an increase of 3% backdated to April, as Deputy Healy-Rae rightly says; an increase of 2% from 1 November and an increase of 3% from March 2024.

In addition, agreement was reached to commence a process to facilitate discussions on appropriate further funding increases, having regard to Building Momentum and any successor public sector pay agreement. To be honest, that was the hardest aspect of all to be agreed. It was to ensure that we do not find ourselves again with the gap widening. We must have a parallel process. To be very fair to the unions and to the departmental officials, they have worked out and laboured on the language that they can put to the members now on a parallel process to ensure that a pay gap does not develop again. That is a very important piece. Most importantly, and in the immediate term, this agreement has resulted in the postponement of planned industrial action by staff today.

The Government is committed to the expansion of services for people with disabilities. The disability action plan was approved by the Government in July of this year and is currently being prepared for publication. In addition to the disability action plan, the roadmap for children's services will be launched next week. The roadmap aims to improve services for children with complex needs and their families.

I recognise the essential role section 39 organisations will have in delivering the ambitions and targets of the disability action plan and services for children. My Department has been engaged on the issue with the Department of Health since the transfer of functions. As we all know, that initial offer in July to increase funding was not accepted by the trade union representatives and, consequently, unions representing section 39 and section 56 workers announced that their members in a selection of employer organisations would take indefinite action, so it was crucial that we found a resolution.

The Leas-Chathaoirleach spoke earlier. I was acutely aware that there were television programmes being broadcast, all the while knowing that an agreement had to be found. I recognise the hard work of all the parties involved in reaching this agreement, including the officials in the Departments, but, most importantly, I acknowledge the families who were in anguish wondering if the dispute could be resolved. I also acknowledge the staff who were reluctant to feel that they were forced into strike action to get a resolution. I thank all for their patience and for bearing with the Government. Perhaps it took too long, but I hope that we can reach a desired outcome.

My job in all of this is that in 2018 when pay restoration was discussed, the top 50 organisations were picked out of the 300 and they left 250 behind. I was determined, along with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, that this time if we were introducing pay restoration we would get it for all and we would leave no organisation behind.

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