Colm Burke (Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have the detail, but what I am saying relates to our priorities within the HSE. I do not criticise anyone in the HSE because there may very well be a logical reason why 1,647 additional people are required in administration and management. Surely to God, however, there should be proportionality in respect of front-line staff, which does not seem to be the case. The number of public health nurses increased from 1,460 to 1,499, an increase of 39. In North Lee in Cork there are 68 nurses, ten of whom were genuinely on sick leave or maternity leave over a 12-month timeframe and they were not replaced. We do not seem to have the coalface as a priority and I am somewhat concerned at that.