Colm Burke (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

My apologies for not being here when they gave the replies. Unfortunately, I was in the Seanad dealing with a health issue.

On the 11,000 additional staff in the HSE, if there are to be improved levels of employment where we are already talking about over 450 consultants who are not in place and nurses not being in place, within the HSE we still do not appear to be prioritising the front-line employment. For example, when I looked at the figures for the additional 11,000 staff employed in the HSE over a three-year time period, there was a 17% increase in administration staff and only a 3.5% increase in public health nurses. That does not appear to have been a logical decision to take. I wonder what influence all of the players present have in trying to get the HSE to take the logical decisions on this matter because what I do not want is a situation where such an increase in staff continues.

The second issue I want to touch on is security in accident and emergency departments. I am aware the IMO referred to it. What action can be taken immediately to assist staff in dealing with that issue? All of the hospitals have security staff. Is it a case that there is not enough security staff employed or that sometimes during the week we would be better off having gardaí permanently posted in accident and emergency departments to ensure that there is security and safety for staff? I wonder how we deal with that. The number of assaults the IMO referred to is extremely serious and it is something cannot be ignored. People are trying to provide care for a significant number of people and their own safety is at risk. I am wondering what can be done on that. That is something that can be done immediately. I wonder whether we can deal with that even today.