Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The union has made a series of constructive suggestions not just relating to an increase in pay and regrading the position of secretarial assistant, which must happen, but also on issues such as the conversion of overtime pay to an allowance and compressing the scale. One thing I did not know until this week is that the scale takes 18 years. It is completely out of whack with other scales. We have a collective responsibility to deliver for these secretarial assistants. Let us be clear: we have the power, as parliamentary representatives, to do that. All that is lacking is the political will. I mean it respectfully when I ask the acting Leader to give us a commitment that he will get the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to meet these people and that he will get that Minister to ensure the right people from the Department go to the next set of talks, engage meaningfully and deliver.We cannot let the term of this Parliament end without the issue of our secretarial assistants finally being resolved.