Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

The Health Service Executive is to withhold payments due to nurses and midwives under the Sustaining Progress agreement and under benchmarking, which fall due on 1 June. What is the Minister's view of what I can only describe as very provocative action? Is he aware that this threatened action by the HSE has evoked a very strong response from the Irish Nurses Organisation, that is, to consider industrial action? Will the Government intervene to encourage the HSE to withdraw immediately its threat to withhold these payments as of 1 June? Will he further encourage the HSE to re-engage with the INO in its ongoing negotiations on health care assistant training programmes and the other outstanding matters? Much has been resolved, although some matters remain to be addressed. Will the Government intervene with the HSE to avert the situation, which is already at crisis point in accident and emergency units, from deteriorating further, with all the serious consequences of industrial action in our hospital services throughout the State?

Will the Minister join me in commending the INO on its campaign, Enough is Enough, which is bringing greater public attention and awareness to the ongoing crisis in our accident and emergency units? Is the Minister aware that as of yesterday, there were 181 people on trolleys in accident and emergency units in various hospitals throughout the country? Can the Minister advise us whether the Tánaiste's so-called solution or part solution to this problem, that is, making further beds available in the already difficult ward situations in hospitals, has made any contribution to alleviating the current crisis? What information can he share with the House regarding that proposition from the Minister for Health and Children?

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