Gerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

IBEC has even made an assessment in recent years and has caught up with the position of the Labour Party and others that our State is not only too small to service current economic and social needs, but future economic and social needs and ambitions. I will make two points. The first is that when we talk about agility, the public sector and the private sector need to be agile. There is now competition for talent. It was disappointing to see individual Departments going on solo runs last week on unilateral proposed changes to their policies on blended work. That position has changed in recent days where they have agreed to engage with trade unions. It is important that the public service should be an exemplar of employment practices.

We obviously do not include section 39 workers, who are balloting for industrial action, in our public sector employment figures. There used to be a connection and alignment between their pay grades' terms and conditions and those of equivalent grades in the public service. That is not the case at the moment and that needs to be addressed because they are carrying out the work of essential public services in the health-related activities contracted to them by the State.

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