Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The intention is to recruit 1,000 additional nurses this year. That was announced on budget day. The details of that will be worked out among the operational plans for each of the hospital groups. The process is under way and will conclude shortly for the individual budgets for each hospital. We do need to grow nursing numbers and I am not disputing that with the Deputy whatsoever. We do need to have more nurses working in our emergency departments. We are having an intensive engagement with the INMO and SIPTU on recruitment and retention. Given the Deputy's own background, she will understand the sensitivity of discussing that process now. However, these issues are being actively discussed and considered at the moment through an intensive engagement with the INMO and SIPTU. I hope we can make progress on that.

In talking about beds and trolleys, it is important to note that the issue is not just in emergency departments, but throughout hospitals. The fact that we have closed 104 hospital beds due to staff shortages indicates that recruitment and lack of nurses is actively causing pressures within our emergency departments. If we want to clear what is a vicious cycle in the trolley situation, which now happens annually - there are similar pressures in Britain and Northern Ireland - bed capacity, recruitment and a real move to primary care, which includes a new GP contract, are the three fundamental aspects that need to be addressed. We are committed to recruiting and have already filled half the vacant posts in emergency departments. We are committed to filling the rest of them and want to see the 107 nursing posts filled also. We are actively engaging with the INMO and SIPTU on that.

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