This morning I joined Irish Wheelchair Association workers on the picket line in Clontarf. I was shocked at what they told me. They told me that they worked during the height of the Covid pandemic doing things like collecting swabs from nursing homes and getting Covid because they were working with patients at very close quarters. They are not getting the €1,000 bonus, which is an absolute disgrace. They have not received a pay rise for 14 years. All of this is because the parity they used to have with healthcare assistants has been broken. Even though these are in effect critical parts of our health service - they are public sector workers in reality - they are being treated with utter disrespect. Will the Government give them the pay justice that they are on the picket line for?

I once again acknowledge the important and valuable work done by the staff of the Irish Wheelchair Association. As the Deputy will know, in fact and in law they are not public servants, are not employees of the State or any State agency or body. Maybe they should be, but they are not. They are employed by a charity, the Irish Wheelchair Association. Having said that the Workplace Relations Commission, WRC, which is an office of my Department is always available to assist in resolving these disputes. I encourage the association itself, the staff affected and their representatives to engage with the WRC and perhaps we can find a solution that way.