Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

We are acutely aware of the large budget the HSE has and you are expecting to see a return on the other side. We are strictly talking about value for money, better services and that. I note on that list that there is a difference between 2021 and 2022. For example, there were three people who did not appear on that figure in 2021. There are people earning €460,000 and €470,000, for example. We should look at what the trends are. Some of them are in reverse but when we start segmenting what we will be talking about with the HSE, when we inevitably have it in, that has to be one of the items we talk about. We must specifically identify that but there are a few other things as well. Like others, I was across the road in Buswells Hotel yesterday meeting people from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, and they said they love the job and they want to do it but that they are worried about safe staff levels. Then we are looking at this and you can understand why there would be discontent within an organisation when you see that.

I want to mention two of the other items, beginning with the obsolescence. Why is something that will not be used being held on to? Is there any value in it if storage is being paid for? It is almost like the voting machines again. If it is not of value then losses should be cut. That would strike me as the obvious thing to do. Second, on the vaccines that were retained rather than exported, I remember that other countries were looking for vaccines but they were allowed to expire. Presumably they have been dumped.