Paul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the issue of section 38 and section 39 workers and call for a debate as soon as we can when we return in the autumn to talk about their plight. Members will all know the incredibly important work these workers do. They care for our vulnerable, our elderly and for people with disabilities.I am talking about organisations like the Irish Wheelchair Association, the Western Care Association, and Pieta House. I, with many others last week, met the Alzheimer Society of Ireland and one of the points the society kept stressing was the pay differential. Pay is as low as €13.10 per hour for a direct support worker in the Alzheimer Society of Ireland versus €15.20. Both rates of pay, incidentally, are clearly not enough. These organisations are struggling to find and keep staff.

What I do not understand is, all of us agree on how important these workers are and we hear it from all sides of the Chamber, and rightly so, so how can it be that 14 years after the pay link was broken, this Government has no plan whatsoever to restore that pay link to ensure these people have access to a decent pension and sick pay scheme? If we really value these workers, how can it be that the trade unions, SIPTU, Fórsa and others, are still having to fight, campaign and demand justice for these workers? The way these workers have been forgotten is entirely inexcusable. I understand the unions are going to campaign together again in the autumn and they will also include section 10 workers, all of whom have been forgotten about for too long by successive governments. We need an urgent debate on the matter. These people need to pay justice now.