Jerry Buttimer (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests, Mr. Doran, Ms Mahon, Ms Talty, Mr. Geoghegan, and Adams for their attendance, for their engagement with the committee and for their excellent, thought-provoking and challenging presentation. I also thank them for commissioning the study. There is no doubt that we are living in challenging times and it is important that the committee should understand and recognise the pressure and demands being placed on nurses, midwives and public health nurses. We must also recognise the significant change that those our guests represent have brought about in the delivery of health services. At a time when there has been a great deal of, in many cases, unfair criticism of public servants, nurses and those in the other health care professions have delivered major changes. It is important that the committee should reflect no just on our guests' presentation, but also on the testimony they have provided during these proceedings. I refer, in particular, to their request in respect of the nurse-patient ratio. We will certainly reflect on the comments that have been made and on our guests' presentation.

I again thank our guests for giving of their time to come before us. I wish to place on record our appreciation of the work done throughout the country each day by the people they represent. The nature of the relationship between politics and trade unionism at times does not allow us to recognise the humanity and professionalism displayed by and the humanitarian work and caring done by nurses each day in our hospitals. Anyone who engages on any level with the health service will agree that the INMO's members are a credit to it and to the hospitals in which they work.

I wish to again place on record my thanks to Mr. Michael Dineen and Ms Patsy Doyle in Cork for the great work they do. As our guests will be aware, I work very closely with Mr. Dineen and Ms Doyle. We do not agree on everything but we do engage in respect of the relevant matters.