Séamus McGrath (Cork South-Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this matter. I raise an issue in respect of certain organisations across the country and particularly their staff and workers, who have not benefited from the pay agreements of recent years. They are former section 39 organisations. I acknowledge that many of the section 39 organisations have benefited but there is a cohort out there which, because of a complicated and complex funding model, have not been brought in under the pay agreements. The Minister of State will agree it is deeply unfair on the staff of those organisations that they have not benefited from the well-deserved pay increases that were awarded in 2023 and 2025. A number of organisations, perhaps fewer than ten, have still not been brought in under the pay agreement.

I want to talk in particular about St. Luke's Home in my area of Mahon, Cork. There are other such organisations, including Cobh Community Hospital and Valentia hospital in Kerry, which Deputy Cahill has also been raising. St. Luke's Home is a voluntary not-for-profit organisation providing essential care to residents in Cork. It provides long-term care with a palliative approach and specialises in dementia. It has over 128 beds. It also provides short-term respite care and day services, as well as other services. It is a critical organisation and, as the Minister of State will appreciate, it has a waiting list because of the great service it provides. Unfortunately, its more than 200 staff members have not benefited from the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, agreements in respect of pay and conditions. That is a significant issue for the home. The board of directors has described it as an existential crisis. The home is potentially going to lose staff. The Minister of State will agree it is deeply unfair and inequitable for those staff members when they see colleagues in other organisations who have benefited from pay agreements when they have not.

I welcome the opportunity to raise this Topical Issue. I say to the Minister of State that we can try to resolve the issue. I imagine it will be resolved at some point but it needs to be resolved as urgently as possible.

I will refer to a clause in the agreement that should cater for organisations such as this. I will read it, if I may. Clause 4.1 states:

In recognising that some of the organisations in scope of this present agreement also receive additional public funding by way of other grant arrangements, organisations should use this agreement as a framework to obtain equivalent increases in funding from the relevant Departments and/or statutory agencies as appropriate. It is understood that, save in exceptional and unforeseen circumstances, the required funding will be made available upon application by the organisation.

In the case of St. Luke's Home in Cork, that has not happened. It is funded by the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, and the HSE. I think it is because of the complicated structure that it has not been brought under the WRC agreement. The NTPF states it is a matter for the HSE. The HSE states it is a matter for the NTPF. These staff are getting the run around on this issue. I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet them recently to discuss the issue. I obviously undertook to raise the matter with the Minister. I tabled this question to the Minister for public expenditure because it is ultimately a matter for that Department, given that the WRC agreement came under it.

The Minister of State will agree in respect of the staff of St. Luke's Home in Cork, who provide a critical service and are extremely dedicated and committed to their work, that it is only fair that they would benefit from the WRC agreement as it relates to pay increases. I ask the Minister of State to take up the matter with the relevant Departments to try to resolve the issue and bring those staff members under the WRC agreement as quickly as possible so the continuity of St. Luke's Home can be secured. This organisation celebrated 150 years in existence in 2022. It provides critical services in Cork. I want to support it in every way I can.

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