Bhí mé ar an nguthán le Sonia Borwick díreach ansin. I was just on the phone with Sonia Borwick. Northside Home Care is on day five of strike in relation to caring. Sixty men and woman are on strike because what is happening them is unfair. In relation to the Bill, the carers have been on strike since 16 January. They are not doing this lightly. They are doing it because they have been pushed to the edge. These people who looked after my grandparents are all proud northsiders. Yet, speaking on the phone to her, she informed me that six of these workers had been made homeless while working as a carer. They are living in a hub in Coolock while still going out every day to care for others. That really sunk in. For years, these workers had pay parity with other healthcare staff. When the recession hit, they were included in the Haddington Road agreement. Through decisions that were made in this House, they effectively lost out. They also lost section 39 status. This was not because their work rate change, but because decisions were made in here. These were always workers who were working the best they could. The only thing that changed is how they are being treated. Speaking to them, they told me that their pay has gone down since 2007. This policy choice needs to change. The Minister of State agrees with me. There has been a lot of work done. I welcome some of the work that his Department has done. There is no price that we can put on care. There is no price on seeing and knowing that your loved one is being cared for correctly. These workers are not asking for us to change the world. They are asking for us to change their world. It is very simple for us to do that. I will continue to raise this with the Minister and the HSE. It is day six of the strike tomorrow. They will be outside of the Dáil. It is important that we listen to them. They need to be seen. The Northside Home Care Services is vital in north Dublin. They look after all of elderly, sick and anyone with a disability. They are vital. They are tireless workers. We need to look after them. I urge the Department to look at and change what is going on with these men and women.

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