Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I want to go back to something Deputy Neville said about why people emigrate and do not stay in the profession. We can increase our training numbers as much as we like but we are in a global market. We can train 1,000 psychiatric nurses. However, that does not mean 1,000 psychiatric nurses are going to stay in our health system because it is dysfunctional.

What structural change does the PNA see as necessary within the health service in general and the mental health services in particular? I refer to recruitment and retention. As Deputy Neville said also, I do not think that it is all salary. It is career progression, job satisfaction, and being valued within the service. There is huge problem of demoralisation and demoralised staff are quite inefficient in the service that they deliver. We have looked at this and all these issues in the Sláintecare report. There needs to be structural change within the HSE to demand accountability and responsibility but also to put in supports for staff. Bricks and mortar are important but the human resource in our health service is the most important part.

What supports, as Deputy Martin asked, are there to value a staff member and to prevent them leaving the service? Many people leave the service and there is no exit survey to ask why. If there was an attrition rate in a commercial company that we have in our health service, one would wonder what was wrong with that company that was allowing so many people to haemorrhage. What structural changes does the PNA see in the HSE that could stop this?