Today I raise the question of the sustainability of section 39 organisations. The Tánaiste will be aware that these organisations in all of our communities, and there are hundreds of them around the country, are vital for health and social care services particularly in the area of disability, hospice care, and care for our elderly. They engage in service level agreements with HSE. They are very heavily reliant on volunteers. All of those volunteers are a wonderful part of all of our communities.
I have to acknowledge there is a very extensive investment by the Government in disability services, which is critical, and a lot of pay and conditions issues are being addressed. However, when the next round of public sector pay talks take place, those section 39 workers should be considered as part of that. Certainly it should always be the case that somebody who does the job in a section 39 organisation as a nurse, for example, is treated in the same way as somebody who works as a nurse directly employed by the HSE.
There is a requirement, obviously, on those section 39 organisations to meet the required standards that are set out by HIQA and the HSE, and to adhere to all the Charity Regulator's standards. That is right and organisations expect to do that. It does, however, place a huge workload on those organisations and there are costs involved in that.
The challenge is that we ensure we have sustainability for those section 39 organisations, so they can deliver the best services in all of our communities to the service users. I know the Tánaiste knows many of the organisations in my constituency. I think of Saint Aidan's Services in Gorey, with which I have a deep personal and family connection. It is providing services to over 300 people and their families. Cheshire Home in Shillelagh was the first Cheshire Home in Ireland. There is also the Irish Wheelchair Association in Ballycanew and Carnew Community Care, an organisation the Tánaiste is familiar with. I was also in with the service users in RehabCare in Arklow last Monday. I had a useful conversation with them. One of them told me that the Tánaiste was a very good TD, but that his brother, Adam, would be far better because he speaks out about autism services. Engaging with those service users shows how important those services are in our communities. However, when it comes to the cost of operating section 39 facilities, it should not have to be all about having to fundraise for core services. Can we provide some sort of guarantee for the sustainability of those services across the country?
