Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

116. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on her plans to address the proposed strike action of section 39 workers, employed by bodies under the aegis of her Department. [7539/25]

Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Community and voluntary health and social care workers are the backbone of many essential services, and the State depends on them to deliver essential support to people across the country every day.

All staff in these sectors should be fairly paid and appropriately recognised for the difficult work they do.

My priority is clear: to protect these vital services for those who rely on them while ensuring fair treatment and sustainable employment for the dedicated workers who provide quality supports and services.

The Government is fully committed to directly engaging with the voluntary sector and using industrial relations mechanisms where appropriate to tackle pay issues that threaten disability services.

Relevant Departments have proactively engaged with unions and employers on pay funding in a process facilitated by the Workplace Relations Commission. An interim agreement was reached in October 2023, and state agencies have worked with service providers to administer the associated 8% pay funding adjustments.

Substantive talks resumed last June and a pathway for dealing with the inherent sectoral complexity, including the necessity for further data gathering on low pay, has been proposed.

A number of issues remain to be resolved and all parties have this week agreed to return to facilitated talks at the WRC on the 3rd of March.

Prior to the adjournment of talks in the context of the General Election, the Government had offered a further 8.5% increase in funding for pay. Combined with the October 2023 deal, this would have delivered a 16.5% pay funding increase over 3.5 years, had an agreement been reached.

While these organisations are not public bodies, and their staff are not public servants, I recognise that these employers are largely reliant on public funding to meet their pay costs. I understand that union members at several section 39 organisations are currently balloting for possible industrial action.

Experience tells us that dialogue is the only path to a resolution, and I would encourage all union and non-union workers to focus on engagement through the available channels. As Minister for Disability, I will work with all parties to provide certainty to this sector in the collective interests of workers and service users.