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

There are 1 million people on waiting lists and some of them probably believe it is better to get into hospital. Dr. Doyle is right, however, that it is not an environment for patients or workers. The issue here is the failure to recruit. We will be talking to doctors' representatives after this session and again next week. I contend there is an issue around money. In the short term, nothing other than recruitment will make anything possible.

If I hear Dr. Doyle correctly, it almost does not matter what is done. We can lay on as many courses as we like but if staff cannot attend them if they do not get protected time. We can have all the well-being initiatives we like but if staff cannot get ten minutes off to eat a sandwich, they will not get an hour off to do mindfulness. That is no disrespect to mindfulness, which is probably great if one has the time. The study backs the view that without recruitment the resolution of these issues will not be possible.