Refusal to pay home-help workers lump sum is shameful

​Dublin Fingal Fianna Fáil TD, Darragh O’Brien has said that it is shameful that the Government continues to ignore Labour Court recommendations to ensure home help workers, who carry out a low-paid job on the front line of our health services, receive payment in lieu of pension entitlements.


The Deputy raised the matter in Dáil Éireann earlier this week saying, “The provision of quality home care services allow many older people stay in their homes and that service should be recognised by the State.


“This Government and the last have been in breach of two Labour Court recommendations whereby home help workers are due to be paid four and a half weeks pay per annum in lieu of pension entitlements.


“I have been raising this matter directly with successive Ministers for Health for over four years now and despite these are low-paid workers being owed money by the State, no effort has been made to rightfully pay what is due to them.


“Ensuring that they receive this payment allows us to recognise their vital contribution to the delivery of front-line care services in our country.


“It was recently announced by the Minister for Health, Simon Harris that the Government were unable to come to an arrangement for this payment under the Lansdowne Road agreement.


“I ask the Taoiseach, in his last weeks in office, to consider the crucial importance of Labour Court recommendations 19297 and 19299 and ask him to ensure that the hundreds of low-paid, front-line home help workers in the health service money the State owe them in lieu of pension entitlements,” concluded Deputy O’Brien.