Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That leads me to another question. Unfortunately, management is, to a large extent, an important cog in the structure. There is a significant amount of hostility. I have spoken to junior doctors and there is an enormous amount of resentment and hostility because doctors are working 18 hours a day. As Dr. Byrne said in response to Deputy Shortall, canteens are not open beyond 4 p.m. even though the doctors are expected to work for 18 hours. These are management issues. It is important to challenge management. It would be important for our guests, in their engagement with managers, to challenge them to explain why the relationship is so hostile because it should not be. In most environments, there is a healthy respect between people and their management. In some cases, there is a hostile relationship. I never hear a hospital consultant speak well of management. That is a major problem. It would enhance the work our guests have done, which is superb, if they were able to get the perspective of managers and challenge them on it.

I would also like to hear our guests' perspective on the unions. Did they engage with the unions? How was that engagement? Do they feel the unions help the situation in this country? Do unions make any difference or is their influence negligible?

As part of the guests' body of work, was there much engagement with unions?