Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister, his officials and Mr. Reid. As someone who does not have private health insurance, I genuinely wish Mr. Reid the very best because I am relying on him - as are many people - to do a very good job. I am sure he will.

The nurses were on strike for three days but the HSE has no excuse for the other 362 days. Every person who has spoken - bar one - mentioned the three days of strike as if this somehow explains the massive and ongoing waiting lists. I do not believe that is very fair.

I have some questions on the recent settlement reached with nurses and the ongoing issue around the recruitment of consultants. Has the HSE set itself any targets for this recruitment? The nurses' strike took place in the context of what is known as the recruitment and retention crisis. I am aware that the word "crisis" loses a bit of meaning because everything is a crisis at the moment. Presumably, the settlement of that strike should result in additional staff being recruited. Has a budget been put aside for the additional staff? Has the HSE set any targets in respect, for example, of how many nurses it wants to attract home from abroad? Survey after survey shows that nurses leave Ireland after they graduate because they believe the health service in Ireland is not an attractive place for them to work. The purpose of the settlement - as I understand it - is to see more nurses in the service but we will not be able to quantify this unless targets have been set.

Mr. Woods and I have spoken several times about the setting of targets for the conversion of agency staff into directly employed staff. We are all going to agree - because we do agree - that the use of agency staff does not represent good value for money. Years ago, agencies were used a temporary stopgap but now entire shifts rely on agency staff. It is expensive and I believe that it is a form of outsourcing by stealth. Has the HSE set any targets for this in the context of recruitment? I had asked this question previously of the Minister and he indicated that he would get an answer for me. While the answer is not overdue, I just wanted to know if the Minister has a response regarding the urgent care centre at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown. It was promised to be open from 8 a.m. to midnight seven days per week. I do not believe the staff will be in place to do this. Will we be fobbed off with a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. service, a press announcement and a ribbon-cutting ceremony? I do not think is very fair. Is the Minister in a position to confirm that the staff have been recruited? If letters and start dates are not already in the pipeline or on their way then the service will not be able to operate as was promised from 8 a.m. to midnight seven days per week. It would only be able to operate on a short-term basis. If the staff are not in the pipeline, they will not be there for the scheduled opening date at the end of June.

Can the Minister confirm that?