Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The current dispute involving work to rule by 40,000 nurses is an example of the Government's failure creatively to pre-empt a crisis that threatens the delivery of fundamental quality health services in the State. As a consequence, it fails patients, taxpayers and front-line workers. It is more than three years since I proposed that the benchmarking process was not capable of dealing with all of the areas and sectors it was required to deal with so that transparency, clear services and improvements for the public could be brought about in return for these rewards.

The Government has rejected all challenges to reform what is a flawed benchmarking process. With a work to rule involving 40,000 nurses, we now have a situation where nobody — nurses, patients or the public — benefits as a consequence. In reminding the Taoiseach and the Government that nurses have signalled their willingness to change work practices and introduce efficiencies and have indicated their willingness not to be seen as obstructionist in this matter, I suggest that the unwillingness of the Government to consider changes to the criteria and flexibility of the benchmarking process has brought about this impasse where everybody is suffering. The Government has known this for some time. My party and other organisations have made the point that benchmarking does not suit every situation and should be altered to cater for discussion and negotiation of legitimate claims.

Is the Taoiseach prepared to say that the current work to rule is a consequence of a flawed benchmarking process? Furthermore, is he prepared to say on behalf of the Government that a willingness to reform that process might have avoided this dispute?

Is he prepared to apologise on behalf of the Government to taxpayers, patients and nurses for standing over a system that is inherently flawed and incapable of what it was set up to do in the first place?

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