This morning, I visited the picket line of medical scientists at Tallaght University Hospital. They are among the more than 2,000 members of the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association, MLSA, who are on strike today. By the way, the public support for them and the support from patients were quite overwhelming. These are the hidden heroes of our health service. They are the people who process test samples for Covid-19, who do blood tests and who test urine and stool samples. They have been under intense pressure during the Covid-19 crisis. Many of them are now suffering burnout as a result of problems with recruitment and retention, which mean that one in five medical scientist places are currently unfilled.

Their work is vital for modern medical treatment. The medical services that we all rely on depend on them being there and on them carrying out their specialised work. However, the Government, in its mistreatment of these workers, has brought us to the point of a serious crisis. Over 10,000 outpatient appointments were cancelled today as a result.

These hidden heroes are shamefully paid 8% less than clinical biochemists, who do a very similar job. Pay parity was recommended back in 2001 by an expert group. That was accepted by the HSE and the Department of Health. Yet, more than two decades on, it has not been implemented. The workers described to me a situation whereby laboratory aides have a starting salary that is higher than that of medical scientists. Therefore, there is a situation where many people start over the summer as laboratory aides, because they cannot then start as medical scientists. They then have to take a pay cut in order to become the more highly qualified medical scientists.

Now, like most workers across the country, they are feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. Their rent is going up, their electricity costs are going up, their petrol or diesel costs are going up but yet, their wages are not going up. Enough is enough for them. They need action on pay parity in order that they can survive. They need action to fill the one in five medical scientist positions that are unfilled as a result of the underinvestment into our health service.

The strength of anger and of feeling of these workers was demonstrated by the vote in favour of industrial action last November, when they voted 98% in favour of action. They were due to strike in March but postponed that to facilitate further negotiations. There was, however, no meaningful offer from the HSE. Now they have no choice but to go ahead with strike action today. If there are not meaningful negotiations, they will go ahead with two days of strike action next week and with three days the following week. They are looking for the Taoiseach to intervene, to direct the HSE to sit down with the workers’ representatives and agree to grant pay parity and to fill the unfilled posts.

As I did yesterday, I again take the opportunity to recognise the hugely important and vital work carried out by medical scientists, as well as their role in respect of the functioning of our health service. They are dedicated, professional and highly committed and have been so for many years. This was particularly the case during the pandemic.

There is a long-standing concern. The Medical Laboratory Scientists Association has had an ongoing long-term concern in relation to pay and career structure of the medical scientist grade. They want pay parity between medical scientists and clinical biochemists. The health sector management has been engaging with the MLSA regarding these issues under the existing public service agreement.

As I said, the public service agreement group, which is comprised of union and Civil Service representatives and which has an independent chair, met on 11 May to consider the matter. They recommended that the matter be immediately referred to the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, and that industrial peace be maintained in the meantime. There was engagement between the parties yesterday at the WRC. I believe the parties should continue at the WRC. Ultimately, industrial disputes of this kind have to be resolved through the existing labour and industrial relations mechanisms. That is the most effective way to do this, because there are implications and there are always consequences and relativities. These issues are never simple or straightforward in industrial relations terms, particularly within the health service. This potentially has further, wider repercussions.

All those issues have to be teased through and worked through. The most important forum in which to do that is the WRC or whatever forum within the industrial relations machinery is optimal for the resolution of this particular dispute. I hope that while talks are continuing, the strike action could be lifted because such action will and does impact on patients. Of that there is no doubt, given the central and very important role medical scientists perform in our health service.

The Taoiseach described this as a long-standing issue. For workers suffering because of low pay, 21 years is very long-standing when we have an expert group recommendation that is simply not being implemented. There has been a passing of the buck throughout this whole process. When the MLSA negotiate with the HSE, the HSE states the problem is it cannot get the money from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, but that Department is not in the room at the WRC, for example. If the Taoiseach is pointing to the WRC, does he not agree the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform should be in the room at the WRC for the negotiations? It is the one that is or is not doling out the money, as the case may be.

I urge the Taoiseach not to also pass the buck. Ultimately, he is the Taoiseach; the Head of Government. It is a very simple issue in terms of pay parity. It is an issue that has been recognised by the expert group, whose recommendation the HSE and the Department of Health agreed to implement. The Taoiseach should send a direction to the HSE and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform saying we will address these workers' very legitimate concern, especially in the context of the cost-of-living crisis, the fact they are owed an 8% pay rise and, as inflation is now at 8%, that this is the very least they need. If the Government does not act, the Taoiseach has the responsibility. By just asking workers to lift the strike action - when they did that previously meaningful negotiations did not result - the Government will be responsible for the disruption of tens of thousands of outpatient appointments next week and even more the following week.

As I said, the most effective way to resolve this issue is through the labour relations machinery and industrial relations machinery of the State. It is the most effective way to resolve all disputes of this kind and, ultimately, the only way to do it. That is understood and accepted across all the social partners in respect of disputes in the public and private sectors. As I said, there was engagement between the parties at the WRC yesterday. It is important those talks continue and the existing industrial relations machinery is fully utilised because that is the ultimate way of ensuring we can get a resolution to this.

Does the Taoiseach agree the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform should be present at the WRC?

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is not present in the room at every dispute that occurs.

It is when disputes get settled.

Obviously, as the Department representing the taxpayer and everybody, it is always there as an influence. We know that but the bottom line is there is always tick-tacking and-----

It should be in the room.

-----things do not happen in isolation. The Deputy knows that. As a trade unionist, she knows how-----

It will not be resolved until the Department is in the room, with respect.