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

On the very topical issue of health and safety issues in the working environment for nurses, doctors and so forth, and the INMO has continually stated that the working environment is not good for its members or for patients. How can the HSE address that matter? If nurses and doctors are saying that their working environment is not good for their health, then something has to give. The latter is already happening because people are not staying in the health service. These highly trained staff are extremely well motivated but they feel the need to say that they cannot continue to work in such conditions and that the stress caused by their working environment is obliging them to either leave the health service or emigrate. If we can keep people who are highly motivated and trained in our health service, it will be in much better shape. Proper working conditions constitute one of the most important issues that to be dealt with during the CEO's tenure. He needs to take into consideration the statements made by the INMO and the IMO about health and safety issues in places of work.