Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The list of failings and shortcomings in our health care system is long and makes for grim reading. Some of the proposals that Deputies from across the House have made are important and they resonate with people. We need to de-politicise health. We need to look at a longer term vision and strategy, something like the National Association of General Practitioners has proposed, which is like a Tallaght strategy for health. In a fragmented Dáil, it is important that we converge all our ideas towards a longer term strategy. Deputy Shortall referred to how different Ministers have tried to bring in different proposals at different times only for every subsequent Minister to change those proposals. We go through the cycle again and again and we need to change that. We have seen the consequences of constant political change and the over-politicisation of health. In this reformed Dáil, it is important that we try to change how we approach health policy in Ireland.

In discussing our health services it is important to recognise the work of doctors, nurses and all health care workers, for whom it is not only a job, but a vocation. Our greatest asset in the health care system is the people who work in it and the passion and dedication they bring to their work. As I see it, the first issue we have to address is recruitment and the actual numbers in the system. The retention of graduate nurses and attracting home those who have left should be the primary focus. In many cases those who left did not do so because they wanted to. It is true they would have had better pay and working conditions on offer in London, Manchester, Sydney or wherever else and that would have made emigration enticing. Indeed, it is understandable that so many of our best and brightest of this generation have opted to leave. However, many have left reluctantly and out of necessity because of few or no career prospects here.

The nursing in Ireland scheme was drawn up to entice nurses home, but it has been an abject failure. The figures I obtained show that only 83 nurses have taken up the offer. The target was 500. All the while, hundreds of vacancies remain in our hospitals throughout the country. That is one of the core issues. We cannot improve the quality of our health service if these vacancies exist day in, day out. We cannot improve our service if that continues to be the case. Similarly, there has been a brain drain with doctors. In fact, we have breached our own commitments under the World Health Organization code of global practice. We have the greatest reliance on doctors from developing countries among countries in the OECD.

That is a great shame for many such countries which are trying to improve their health care systems.

In the context of primary care, we must promote and foster GP services to keep people out of hospitals and thus prevent overcrowding, backlogs and increased waiting times. At present, GP clinics are not being utilised as well as they should. I obtained figures from the HSE this week which indicate that although the free GP care for children under six was introduced in good faith, instead of improving point of access it has exacerbated the issues in accident and emergency departments throughout the country, with people waiting to enter primary care centres. Overcrowding in our hospitals means that every week thousands of elective surgeries are cancelled, the net result of which is that people's suffering and pain is prolonged.

There is one example at a primary care level. I received a response about occupational therapy waiting times in Dublin 15 that would bring home to many what is the issue with regard to primary care. The wait time is between 50 and 65 weeks. That might affect an elderly lady or man who wants to stay in the home and remain independent.

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