Seanad debates

Wednesday, 12 June 2024

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business

 

10:30 am

Photo of Paul GavanPaul Gavan (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I join others in wishing Martin Murray every success for a very happy retirement. I again thank him for everything he has done for us over many years. He will be sorely missed.

I offer my congratulations to those MEPs who have been elected and in particular our two colleagues from the Chamber, the Deputy Leader, Regina Doherty, and my good friend and comrade Lynn Boylan. I wish everybody well those continuing counts. I am hoping to head back to Cork. I have been reliably informed that I will be eliminated this afternoon. It is not often that someone gets to say that in the Seanad. Having gone through the process, I just want to wish everyone well. The count is some operation and I thank the count centre staff in particular.I am thinking of our colleagues in Kildare in particular. My God, we owe all of them a debt of gratitude as well.

Moving on from the elections, I wish to raise an issue that has been brought to my attention just this morning. I was not aware that a strike is under way in the National Advocacy Service. My colleagues in SIPTU are actually on strike. It is a real concern because the Citizens Information Board, which is the employer, is a State-funded body. Workers have gone on strike because they have had no choice but to do so. Let us think for a moment about what these workers do. They provide supports for more than 1,500 disabled people each year, making in-person advocacy interventions in areas including housing, access to justice, healthcare, safeguarding and supported decision-making. This work includes accompanying clients to meetings with State agencies, helping advise them in court cases and working with them in hospitals and long-term care settings. They are absolutely essential workers. They have gone on strike because their pay and conditions are completely out of line with others who do similar work and because the service cannot even recruit staff such is the poor pay and conditions on offer.

We need the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Humphreys, to intervene. This situation should never have been allowed to arise. Right now, we have people on picket lines. This strike is not just for one day. The workers are on strike until such time as they get pay justice. The impact on some of our most vulnerable people in the community is horrendous. It should never have come to this. I call for an urgent debate on the issue. I hope Senators from all parties will call on the Minister to urgently intervene. These workers should not be on strike. They should be at work and able to do their jobs supporting some of our most vulnerable citizens. I hope there will be urgent action on this issue. In the meantime, I hope to join the workers on the picket line when I am back in Limerick tomorrow.

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