Enable Ireland, which provides services for people with disabilities, has warned that delays in implementing a pay deal for its staff are impacting its operations.
The organisation said that there has been an absence of progress in securing pay parity and restoration of previous salary scales for its 1,400 employees.
Enable Ireland is a Section 39 organisation which means it is a privately run body that is contracted by the Government to provide services to the State.
In October 2023, a pay agreement was reached with staff in the community and voluntary sector, hours before strike action was due to commence involving 5,000 workers across 17 organisations.
The agreement included an offer from the Government of an 8% increase in funding for wages which was to benefit workers in Section 39, 56 and 10 organisations.
The deal was designed to close the pay gap between workers in the community and voluntary sectors, and those who are paid directly by the State in agencies such as the HSE.
“The issue of pay parity for Section 39 organisations like Enable Ireland is severely hampering our ability to delivery existing services, our capacity to meet emerging and unmet needs due to our ability to recruit and retain staff,” Enable Ireland said in a statement.
“Ultimately, this has a negative impact on the quality of life of the 13,000 children, adults and their families using our services,” the organisation said.
The election manifestos of the main political parties all commit to ending pay disparities between Section 39 organisations and the HSE but Enable Ireland’s board said decisive action is needed now.
It is calling on the Government to issue a directive to the Department of Public Expenditure to release funds to address Section 39 pay.