Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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The need for me to table this Topical Issue arose following weeks of worry and disquiet among workers, users and families who have children or grown-up children with disabilities. They were very worried.

The phone was hopping in recent weeks. It culminated in a deputation coming to my clinic in Scotts Hotel on Saturday, led by Donie Doody and several others. I am glad that the matter seems to be resolved. I have raised it several times over the years in this Chamber. What we hear is that 3% will be paid from last April, 2% in November and 3% next April. My understanding is that there is still 1.5% outstanding before pay parity is arrived at with HSE workers and other public sector workers. I ask that the payments be made and that there be complete parity for the workers. When HSE or other public sector workers get a raise in the future, I ask that these people will get one as well. They took a pay cut back in 2008, which is 15 years ago. It is an awful long time to leave them without proper pay and pay parity.

The strike would have left thousands of people without assistance or access to day care centres, leaving many potentially trapped at home, with some unable to even get out of bed without help. We have so many of these service providers in Kerry such as Cheshire Ireland, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Enable Ireland, family resource centres, the Irish Wheelchair Association and the Kerry Parents and Friends Association. All the individuals and workers involved are highly trained. They can deal with the problems and the expansive range of disabilities of the users. No one else could do their work.

It was very hurtful and many people were very angry that the talks went to the brink so late last night. We thank the Department and the people on the workers' side for their work in recent days and for working into the night and ensuring the strike was called off. We are all very grateful for that. I appeal to the Minister of State that whatever difference remains - I am told there is a difference of 1.5% - it will be addressed, that the workers in section 39 organisations will get complete pay parity and that they will have this in the future.

The stress imposed on families across the country cannot be reversed. This treatment by the Government was not desirable. I am very hurt about that, as are many other people.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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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.

Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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I thank the Minister of State for her reply. As she stated, the recruitment and retention of staff is a problem. I raised this matter in the House a few months ago. I am not sure how long ago it was, but I raised it a number of times.

I am still a bit worried about any difference that might still remain. I have been told there is a difference of 1.5%. That should not and could not be the case. Some 5,000 workers were going to go out on strike. Thousands of disabled people and their families would have been upset. Some of them would not have been able to get out of bed today. The talks should not have gone to the brink like that. I am glad the Minister of State has admitted that it should not have gone that far.

People are born with disabilities and others become disabled during their lives. As elected representatives in this Chamber, we must do our level best for them and help the workers because the work is highly specialised. The staff are trained and it takes years before people are on top of their job in certain areas where there are tricky and hard things to do to manage these people who are the way they are through no fault of their own. We call them special people.

Whatever about anything else, we must help disabled people and people who cannot fend for themselves. There is one big worry. I know several parents who have such children and they have borne the cross very well all their lives. However, they get older and get into their 70s and 80s and then perhaps only one parent is left. Age determines how long we stay on this earth, no matter what kind of health we are in. These parents find themselves in this position and are totally dependent. There should never again be any difference in the pay of section 39 and section 38 workers. They are all wonderful people and they must all be treated the same as far as pay is concerned.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I have consistently stated that the Government's commitment to the sustainability and stability of the health and social care sectors, recognising the ability of the voluntary organisations to pay their staff, is highly dependent on State funding. That is critical. I have totally recognised that and, along with everybody else here in the House, I have advocated for it. As the Deputy totally understands, we had to engage in a process. The process may have been a bit late in starting and it may have taken a little bit too long but we got there in the end. I thank the Ministers, Deputies O'Gorman, Stephen Donnelly and Donohoe, for the role they played in allowing us to bring out an envelope to engage in that process. In doing that with the support of the three party leaders, they also ensured that we addressed the provision in Building Momentum that stated we would commence a process to consider appropriate further funding increases having regard to the Building Momentum agreement and any successor public pay agreement. That is the kernel of the matter. We must prevent any further expansion of gaps and keep conditions aligned so that there is equal pay for equal work because all of these people are doing the work of caring for persons with disabilities, whether in voluntary bodies under section 38 and section 39 or in the HSE, and I see their work as equal. As I said last week on the floor of the Dáil, to me, equity means equity for the workers as well as equity for the service users.