Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As with the new children's hospital, is there not a presumption that staff need to be employed when planning for the future, based on the identification of what is required and the predicted retirements and their likely impact? For as long as I can remember, no new institution that ever opened had an adequate supply of staff at the time even though the staffing requirement was well anticipated. This goes back as far as the opening of Beaumont Hospital, which was a long time ago. Beaumont was not open for about a year after it was built because of a lack of staff. At least that is what we were told at the time.

The aspect that irks me most is the pause. When it came, it affected all staff, even though this committee was raising time and again the need for medical and nursing staff to be prioritised. I refer to front-line staff. I do not expect Ms Ní Sheaghdha to answer this question but she can give me a hint if she wants to. Who made the decision? Was it the Minister, the HSE or somebody at mid-management level who believed it would be a good idea? Has anybody been identified as the culprit in failing to prioritise recruitment to ensure the required levels of nursing and medical staff?