David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Senator Hayden eloquently referred to President Obama's inauguration speech and his reference to inequality in society. It would be useful to have a debate in this House on the issue of equality. The Senator specifically mentioned the position of women and equality for women, with which I would agree, but where does that sit with the Government's proposal to force 1,000 nurses to take a pay cut of 20%? The nursing profession is mainly driven by women. We will see the displacement of 1,000 nurses who are already in the system. They will be asked to step back or they will be sacked or have their contracts terminated and replaced by 1,000 workers who will be asked to work for 20% less. This is what Irish Ferries did and the State rallied against it, and there was universal acceptance from across the political divide that what was happening was wrong, yet we see the State is doing exactly the same to these nurses. These are not graduate nurses but newly-qualified, registered nurses who have come through their training. They have already seen a cut in their fourth year graduate placement from 80% to 60%, and that will fall to 50%. As they take up work, take on mortgages, provide for their children and all the other things individuals need to do, they are being asked to do so on ¤22,000 a year and take a ¤4,000 pay cut. That flies in the face of what the Government has said about not cutting pay in the public sector. What it is doing is targeting some of the most vulnerable people, graduates coming out of college and especially people who do very difficult work.

This is an issue of equal pay for equal work. Those nurses are on the frontline doing exactly what qualified nurses and those who are there for a long time do. This is a harebrained scheme that needs to be abolished. The Government should listen to what the INMO and the PNA are saying on this because this is fundamentally an issue of equality.