Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I accept that. I stated that in the Dáil and at the IMO conference and I say it here because it is the truth. We have an issue with the retention of healthcare professionals. One could argue the toss about recruitment because the stats show that people sign up to be nurses and doctors but the length of time people stay in the health service is a cause of concern.

Mr. Duffy and the Public Service Pay Commission have made some more general comments, including the one I referenced on Sláintecare, but it also made specific commitments we want to extend to nurses such as the qualification allowance and the senior nurse’s scale, and coupled with that is the position regarding new entrants. I would like nurses to consider that in the context of their discussions and following the outcome of the discussions I look forward to engaging with them.