Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of section 39 workers again. Over the course of this week and next, thousands of these workers in our hospices, community hospitals and the intellectual disability sector are being balloted for all-out strike action. It is hard to comprehend that they have been forced into this action. Even the Taoiseach acknowledged some weeks ago in the Dáil that the link between section 39 workers and the rest of the public service should have been maintained. The Minister of State at the Department of Health, Deputy Finian McGrath, says he supports their case for equality, yet with the Departments of Finance and Health passing the buck from one to the other, thousands of workers are now being balloted for all-out strike action as they face into Christmas. Frankly, their case is unanswerable, as even the Workplace Relations Commission has stated they are in the right. The absence of responsibility from the Government to date is frankly inexcusable. I call for a debate on the matter as soon as practicable. The Government parties must shoulder some responsibility in this regard. It is not good enough to say they agree with section 39 workers such as colleagues and friends of mine in the Daughters of Charity and Brothers of Charity in Limerick. They say they agree there is an injustice but decide to do absolutely nothing about it. Let us have a debate on the issue but, more important, in the interim, while these workers are being balloted, let us show the common sense that is required. In other words, the Government must engage in a process whereby these workers can get back the money they so justly deserve. That is all they are looking for. They are simply seeking a process to be initiated to give them back the money they so richly deserve. The irony is everyone in this Chamber will agree with me but no one on the Government benches seems prepared to do a damn thing about it.