Gino Kenny (Dublin Mid West, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their statements. Long Covid is an important issue in respect of the health service. The statements make for sombre and depressing reading.

It is incredible that there have been almost 6,000 assaults against nursing and midwifery staff in less than two years. That is unbelievable. I do not know what is happening to society if we are sanitising this level of abuse against people who going to work and trying to help us. Nurses, care staff and doctors are being subjected to abuse. I am guessing that in situations such as emergency departments things are quite volatile and people are sometimes there for days on end. People who would be very rational do certain irrational things, such as abusing staff. It is hard to believe. I am sure this is having a detrimental effect on Ms Chambers's profession. Morale among her colleagues must be on the floor if 30 of them have had to leave the profession because of abuse from people in that environment. The situation must have a terrible effect on the work environment.