Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

In the trailer we hear about 1,000 new nurses. Let us look at the Government's track record in this regard. The last time there was a "Bring Them Home" campaign 12,000 nurses were targeted. A total of 92 nurses returned, some of whom, according to the unions, have gone abroad ahead or moved to the private sector, but they have left the public service. Perhaps the Minister of State might indicate from where the nurses will come.

Sustained investment is required to make the health service a decent place in which to work, not just in the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF. Sustained investment in the public service is required to ensure nurses will want to work in the health service because they do not. They are leaving in droves. The Minister of State knows this as she can see the figures for herself and is probably talking to nurses, as I do. They cannot get out of Ireland fast enough. They are educated, bright and young. We should be bending over backwards to ensure they stay in Ireland's health service, but they cannot wait to get out of it. They cannot wait to get out of college. They will work in the private sector, the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the United States of America. Why are they not working in the HSE? While the recruitment headline figure is 1,000 nurses, the Government's record tells a very different story. A total of 164 nurses was the target in the agreement reached with the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation in December 2015. It was to provide no holds barred, permanent and pensionable contracts for graduate nurses, perhaps because some people thought the three month contracts on offer were not attractive. How many accepted them? The target figure was 164, but the Government recruited 60 nurses, some of whom have left. Relying on the NTPF or the setting up of hospital trusts, etc. will not work. The budget could have presented an opportunity to do something new and different to make a real difference in people's lives. It was a missed opportunity.

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