James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I did not interrupt the Deputy but I need to correct the record of the House. It was not an incentivised retirement scheme; it was simply a case of those who had the option to retire doing so on their current terms and conditions which were due to change. Some people took the option to retire while many others did not. We are grateful to those who did not because we had a challenge in the health service to maintain services but we managed to maintain a safe service through the grace period, despite dire warnings from the Opposition to the contrary. A great deal of work remains to be done on the reorganisation of the health service. When I leave the House later, I will attend the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland to launch the new emergency medicine programme, which will improve matters in our accident and emergency departments.

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