Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the matter of industrial action by hundreds of community employment supervisors that will take place next Monday. This relates to a pension claim that has been ongoing for well over a decade. I worked on it during my time as a SIPTU official. There is a Labour Court recommendation that clearly calls for a pension to be established for these hundreds of community employment workers. There will be protests and industrial action outside the Department of Employment and Social Protection next Monday, as well as outside Intreo offices in Letterkenny, Galway, Athlone, Cork and Waterford.

I hope the Leader agrees with my next point as a very sinister letter has been sent from the Department of Employment and Social Protection to the community employment management across the country. It has asked for the names of employees taking part in industrial action and it states that "funding of schemes will be reviewed having regard to the industrial action taken". What we have is a threat from the Department to punish those who will stand out for legitimate industrial action across those locations next Monday. That is outrageous, especially as the same Department always denies it has any responsibilities because it is not an employer. On one hand it is argued the Department is not the employer but on the other hand the Department is demanding the names of the people taking industrial action and threatening them and the schemes.

The Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, contacted SIPTU and Fórsa and promised them a further meeting last September. The tragedy is that those unions have heard nothing since, almost six months on. I am calling for a debate on the matter and for the Minister to come to the Chamber. I am also clearly calling for support on the matter, as it is not acceptable for Ministers to renege on promises to meet our legitimate grievances. There is a Labour Court recommendation that has been outstanding for 11 years and it is certainly not acceptable for these workers to be threatened by the Department of Employment and Social Protection. I would like to hear a loud and clear condemnation of that threat from the Leader in his response today.