Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In a week where the cruel impact of the deficiencies in our health service on ordinary people was exposed by the "RTE Investigates" programme, we learned hospital waiting lists are still getting worse. In response to Monday’s programme, we have had much empathy and eloquent words from the Minister for Health. I do not doubt his sincerity. However, we need decisive action that will make a tangible difference to the people affected.

The latest hospital waiting lists for January are staggering. Over 632,000 people are on a waiting list of some form or another, almost 13% of our population. More than one in eight people are now on a waiting list. This is indeed truly shocking, extraordinary and frightening.

Nurses and midwives have decided to engage in industrial action because they have lost faith in the ability of the Government and the Health Service Executive, HSE, to deal with the acute nursing shortages across our health service. It is clear nurses and midwives do not want to engage in industrial action. It is not what they are about. They want to be at work providing the best service they can for the patients they serve. It has been evident for quite some time that nurses and midwives are deeply frustrated with the environment in which they have to work. They say it is unsafe for themselves, for the patients they serve and for other health professionals. The kernel of this dispute lies in staffing, recruitment and retention. In truth, it has been brewing for quite some time.

I acknowledge there have been efforts by the Government and the HSE to recruit more nurses and midwives. However, it has been with little success. A shortage of nurses and midwives hurts. It is not victimless. The shortage of nurses means operations get cancelled. Last year, 37,000 operations were cancelled, up over 50% from the previous year. The shortage of nurses means that acute beds cannot be filled. Even today, over 100 acute beds in our hospital system cannot be filled while, at the same time, people are lying on hospital trolleys. The shortage of nurses means, in essence, that patients are not being served in the way they should. The goodwill of nurses and midwives has helped to keep the system chugging along. They have had enough, however, and who can blame them?

What is the Government’s plan to deal with imminent industrial action by nurses and midwives? What reassurance can the Tánaiste give patients across the country that the situation will not get worse? They are frightened by what has been revealed about the current state of our health service, especially around waiting lists, hospital trolleys and so forth. Now, they learn of this industrial action which has the potential to make matters worse. It is happening because nurses have simply had enough. We need a reassurance from the Tánaiste as to what the Government will do to prevent this industrial action, which is less than four weeks away.

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