Across the country, hard-working paramedics walked picket lines to beeping accompaniment from passing motorists. It was a safe bet that the Dáil’s political first-responders would be selflessly dashing into the unspeakable horror of Leaders’ Questions to embrace the ambulance crews.
Needless to say, Mary Lou McDonald led the charge – with flashing lights and a siren if only the rules of the House allowed it.
The Sinn Féin leader didn’t go too much into the detail of why paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) felt driven to strike for 24 hours, other than it was really Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s fault. She also suggested the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, made matters worse by insulting the striking workers.
For years, she said, the Taoiseach refused to address their issues over pay and conditions, forcing them to fight “for respect, for recognition and for fair pay”.
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He let the situation “fester” until the ambulance service reached “breaking point” and his Government’s “refusal to listen” had effectively left the country without an ambulance service on Tuesday.
“People have died after delays in an ambulance getting to them, and Taoiseach, you are aware of this.”
Emotive words from Mary Lou.
Or as Micheál would have it: “A very, very dishonest portrayal and presentation of the situation.”
He came back with a reasonable defence: the pay deal presented to the ambulance workers followed lengthy, genuine negotiations between the HSE and the unions.
The State offered increased pay of between three and 14 per cent “linked to reform” on top of the 9.25 per cent public-service pay-increase.
A deal was agreed and the two unions recommended it to their members.
They voted to reject it, which they are entitled to do.
“So how can you use language like we ‘refuse to resolve . . . forced them to fight . . . let it fester for six years?’,” asked Micheál, taking exception to Mary Lou’s interpretation of events.
Now, as he told all the Opposition speakers blaming him for the strike and demanding a resolution, the next step has to be a return to the negotiating table for further dialogue, using the “well-established industrial relations machinery of the State”.
Then came some wonderfully galvanising news for the ambulance crews on the picket lines. This did not come from the Government, but from the Labour leader, who thoroughly lifted their flagging spirits with a stirring statement from the floor of their national parliament.
“Crews are being asked to provide increasingly complex care under relentless pressure – unfair and, above all, unsafe,” said Ivana Bacik.
“They have my solidarity and that of my Labour Party colleagues today.”
It was a very touching moment for all concerned.
The Taoiseach repeated that the agreement rejected by the ambulance workers was recommended to them by their own unions.
It was Holly Cairns, leader of the Social Democrats, who shed some light amid all the heat. She explained the reasons behind the paramedics’ difficult decision to stop work for a day.
They have “upskilled” considerably in recent years, “going from essentially being a patient-transfer service to providing nearly accident and emergency-style services in any given situation”, she pointed out. This was not disputed.
But the Taoiseach wasn’t prepared to accept that this crucial change in the medical work done by ambulance crews has not been matched by a commensurate improvement in their pay and conditions.
“That’s nonsense.”
But Holly, like all the party leaders and many other TDs, had come direct from the picket lines where they heard first hand from the workers.
First responders need to be paid on a par with other medical professionals for the essential and skilled work that they now do, she said. Instead, they are badly paid and short-staffed, leading to long delays for ambulances in some cases and serious consequences for patients.
“This is not the fault of ambulance workers who do their very best. The blame lies squarely with a Government that expects an ambulance service to run on fumes and workers’ goodwill.”
But the proposed pay agreement comes with strings attached which would see the number of trained paramedics in a crew go from two to one and in some instances actually reduce people’s pay.
“You couldn’t make it up.”
Holly took a dim view of the Minister for Health “tut-tutting” at what she was saying when paramedics with the same responsibility and amount of training as other medical professionals are unfairly paid less than them, yet they can’t get a pay rise without accepting punishing preconditions.
Earlier, Carroll MacNeill was the subject of some strong tut-tutting from the Sinn Féin leader, who came armed with intelligence from a meeting in Clare on Monday where people were “shocked” to hear her refer to paramedics and EMTs as “ambulance drivers”.
The minister was a bit shocked to hear this.
“Excuse me?”
Mary Lou was happy to elaborate.
“And there’s the problem in a nutshell. Your Government is blind to the expertise and skill of those who save lives every day. You ask ambulance drivers to upskill and then refuse to pay for it properly.”
As this was the Taoiseach’s Dáil slot, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill was neither expected nor allowed to reply.
Still, there would be plenty of time a little while later because the Dáil had set aside 2½ hours so Government and Opposition TDs could read out statements marking International Nurses Day.
JCMN would be first up.
First, she welcomed various representatives of the nursing profession to the public gallery.
Among them, Caroline Gourley, president of the INMO and general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha. She congratulated Phil on becoming president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions last July. Also in attendance was Carolyn Donohoe, CEO of the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, and the organisation’s president, Áine Lynch.
“This is an occasion recognised around the world to honour the professionalism, commitment and vital contribution of nurses to our health services and to society as a whole,” said the Minister for Health, adding that the theme for this year’s event sends out a powerful and timely message.
“Our Nurses, Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives” is reflected in the Government’s “clear objectives to deliver structural reform that supports a sustainable supply of nurses to meet population health demands and support improved working conditions”.
Jennifer never mentioned ambulances, but how would it sound if she substituted the word “paramedics” for “nurses” in her speech?
Maybe she will in a couple of months’ time.
International Paramedics Day takes place on July 8th.
Will there be 2½ hours of speeches then?
