David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Mr. Gloster and wish him well. If he is successful in his role, the health service will be successful. Obviously, the committee wishes to work with him as the new head of the HSE. I commend him on his work in Tusla.

Mr. Gloster rightly referred to the enormous amount of talent working in the healthcare system. We have to harness that talent in the best possible way but we must also acknowledge, as Mr. Gloster did, the significant challenges in healthcare. The current context or backdrop is the ongoing challenges in hospitals and emergency departments, with people waiting too long and waiting lists too high. That is what people see. In the context of confidence in the health services, patients and others look at daily news reports, such as the reports that there were 660 people on trolleys yesterday. It is becoming a year-round problem. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, has threatened strike action. I understand nurses in Cork are being balloted today. What is the response in the short to medium term to dealing with those challenges in hospitals? I am not just focusing on hospitals; we need to look at all the problems that are leading to overcrowding. What is Mr. Gloster’s message to the INMO and nurses who are concerned about unsafe staffing levels and what is happening in emergency departments? Will he meet the INMO, given its concerns? Has he pencilled in an opportunity to meet the INMO?