Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We have invested €1.5 billion in our health services, €900 million of that in the past 12 months. This has involved the recruitment of 9,000 extra people in the public service, most of them across medical, nursing and related areas. Notwithstanding that investment, there are continuing pressures on the recruitment of nurses, especially in particular skill areas.

The nurses are going to the WRC, which I welcome, but the Public Service Pay Commission will examine each sector and pressures within same so as to ensure that, as we negotiate a successor to the Lansdowne Road agreement, we address specific problems in public services. We are committed to a good environment for professional workers in our health service within available resources. The public pay commission, coupled with the reinvestment, is the approach that we are taking to deliver that.

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