Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Where there were gaps, the union was obliged to fill in. I thank Mr. Bell for that. I now turn to the two submissions that have been made to the committee this morning. It is very clear that neither SIPTU nor the INMO was consulted regarding childcare provision. The SIPTU members were not surveyed on the survey we have spoken of, and the only survey I am aware of that we can verify here is the survey by the INMO. Ms Ní Sheaghdha has been reduced to seeking a whole series of freedom of information requests to try to gather information on what has been happening and, no doubt, what is proposed to happen. I believe this to be an absolutely shocking indictment of where we stand currently. Where stands the morale of the INMO workers at this point? It has been made abundantly clear that nine out of ten nurses and midwives are women, and equally the vast majority of healthcare workers are women. One wonders if nine out of ten of the workers were male with childcare responsibilities, would we find ourselves in the position we find ourselves. Will Ms Ní Sheaghdha please address the question of morale within the INMO membership?