James O'Connor (Cork East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I confirm that I am within the Leinster House complex. It is important to have the Secretary General in the committee. As part of my contribution I want to acknowledge the enormous work that has been done by many of our healthcare professionals around the country that are under the remit of the work of the Department. That needs to be acknowledged.

A number of important issues across many different areas have been brought up with Mr. Watt today, but I want to focus on one particular area. The Department has one of the biggest budgetary allocations of any Department in the State. One concern that I have, and it is important that we look at it in the year ahead, is around staffing within the organisation, particularly in the context of front-line medical professionals. In terms of attracting staff and getting value for public money, which is important, is Mr. Watt satisfied with the current salaries within the HSE system for doctors, nurses and consultants in general? Does he think it needs a degree of analysis of where we currently stand in that particular area, in order to prevent the exodus of skilled working professionals who are going to places like Canada and Australia? This is common for many people in my age group. I want to ask Mr. Watt this from the outset.