Michael Harty (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a number of questions. Sláintecare makes a proposal which is accepted for a regionalisation of the HSE into six regions based on hospital groups. Will that make recruitment and retention easier? Will it reduce the number of steps required to recruit somebody in the organisations?

On limiting recruitment, a moratorium or a pause, does the INMO believe the Department of Health and the HSE understand it is a counter-intuitive move? Limiting recruitment will have knock-on effects. There will be an increase in the levels of unmet need and waiting lists and poorer outcomes for patients. Patients do not tend to go away. If they are not receiving a service in one location, they will seek it in another, unfortunately, in emergency departments.

Is there still a pay differential for nurses? If so, what effect does it have on recruitment? Does the INMO believe nurses are valued within the system or are they seen as a resource, rather than employees? Are they encouraged to advance their careers by increasing their professional education to gain extra qualifications which can be fed back into the system? I understand there is very little financial support in that regard, as well as limited opportunities to take leave to attend education courses.

Ms Ní Sheaghdha spoke about the recruitment of overseas nurses. Did I understand her correctly that it costs up to €11,000 to recruit an overseas nurse? Surely that is-----