Press Statement from Frances Fitzgerald MEP
Thursday 28th April 2022
Frances Fitzgerald secures EU Plan to increase number of Care Workers
Dublin MEP Frances Fitzgerald today (Thursday), welcomed the plan to increase the number of carers across Europe, including Ireland, as part of the EU’s new Skills & Talents Package to attract workers to Europe.
“I am delighted that the European Commission has now taken on board my call to attract workers in the care sector as part of their Skills & Talents Package. I particularly welcome that they will be exploring the potential for a new EU-level visa scheme to attract care workers. To that end, I support calls to add care workers to the category of essential workers. This is crucial, and should be implemented immediately,” said MEP Fitzgerald.
“In February, I wrote to Commissioner Margaritis Schinas requesting that care workers be taken into account in the Skills & Talent Package. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, right across the European Union, the enormous contribution that carers make to our societies was clear to see. The daily and hourly contributions, providing care for and supporting others within our societies, often unpaid and unrecognised, became apparent. We as a society are utterly indebted to care workers, and we must do everything in our power to make sure that the sector is adequately staffed, with fair pay and good working conditions.”
“However, we know that many of those who are providing care within our societies are immigrants to Europe, coming to provide care for Europeans of all ages. Their work is imperative, it underlines the social fabric of a European society and ensures that our family and friends are cared for when they are at their most vulnerable.”
“If we are to continue to ensure that our care systems are robust and resilient to meet the needs of an ageing population, we must ensure that gaps in the European labour market can be accessible to those from other parts of the world. These jobs must be of a good quality and existing within the regular economy and not on the fringes. In addition, this work must be valued as it should be and workplace health and safety is taken into account.”
“This is a very important step in overhauling our care systems, in advance of the Commission’s adoption of the European Care Strategy later this year. If we are to have robust and responsive care systems, we must have enough people to staff the sector. I warmly welcome the European Commission’s proposal and I look forward to working to advance this proposal to the next stage,” concluded MEP Frances Fitzgerald.
ENDS
Contact:
Una Clarke