Workers from the national advocacy service are striking today. They provide an essential service for disabled persons and for adults with disabilities, and yet these staff do not receive fair pay. They have exhausted all means for addressing their low-pay issues. They have been to the Workplace Relations Commission and to the Labour Court. A recommendation for a pay rise has been made and yet we understand that management is refusing to implement it. We know the strike will have a major impact on disabled people who rely on the staff of the national advocacy service to assist them in crucial tasks. We have called on the Government to intervene to demand that an organisation that is fully State funded would respect the recommendation that has been made. We need to see action taken to resolve this dispute and to protect the vital services being provided by the staff of the national advocacy service. Can the Taoiseach reassure the House that every action is being taken by his Government to resolve this issue urgently?

I can indeed. I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I want to see this issue resolved, as does the Minister, Deputy Humphreys. I know the excellent work the national advocacy service does and the Deputy is quite right to outline it. My understanding is that efforts continued late into the night to try to avert this strike and all parties were involved in the process, including officials from the Minister's Department and representatives from the CIB. I do not say this to be critical, but I understand the unions did not feel they were in a position to call off the strike on that occasion. I do hope, however, that the discussions could continue during the course of today. Let us get people back into the process.