Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome our guests. Recruitment and retention has been an issue in recent years for nursing and all other staff. What are the main features of the difficulties that are being created there? Is it lower pay or lack of accommodation or is there some other reason that we should know about? It is absolutely essential that we have adequate staffing at all levels throughout the health service but that they stay within budget at the same time. I note that permission was given for extra recruitment of 6,000 staff in 2023 but actually 8,000 staff were recruited. That cannot work because it is way above budget at that stage. What are the areas in which we have the most acute shortages? Why do we have those shortages? Why are we having difficulty in recruitment and retention?