3047. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality when the independent review of low pay in Section 39 organisations will commence as committed to in the 2025 WRC Agreement; if she will take measures to ensure that all S39 Workers, including those delivering PA and Homecare services, are included in all increases committed to in the WRC Agreement, and that future changes to funding arrangements (such as the authorisation scheme) will not result in some of the lowest paid but most essential workers being excluded from the increases negotiated in the agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59149/26]

The pay agreement reached in 2025 between relevant Government Departments and Unions recognises that community and voluntary sector workers should be fairly paid for the vital work they do. The agreement includes automatic adjustments equivalent to future public sector pay agreements for these workers, to match the terms of all future pay adjustments. It improves the ability of vital organisations to actively recruit and retain staff, thereby enhancing the sustainability of services in the sector.

As part of the agreement, a comprehensive data gathering exercise is currently being finalised on pay and funding arrangements in the sector. Once finalised, this fact finding exercise will provide a shared understanding of the sector. Its outcome can be used to inform targeted measures on the low pay issues that affect the delivery of services and the long-term viability of organisations.

The agreement reached with unions applies to funding for pay provided through for organisations providing services funded through grant aid and governed by Service Arrangements, Service Level Agreements and Grant Agreements - through Section 39, Section 56, Section 10 and Section 40 of the relevant Acts. Services commissioned or funded through other procurement mechanisms are not in scope of this agreement.

Personal Assistance and Home Support services which are funded through tendered arrangements are out of scope of this agreement. It must be recognised such contracts are awarded through competitive processes and could not be covered by the collective WRC agreement. The funding for services commissioned through tendering can only be dealt with through the existing procurement processes.