David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The programme for Government committed to the establishment of a public sector pay commission. It also committed to increasing front-line staff, especially nurses, in our public hospitals. This is not happening. The Taoiseach has heard from a number of Deputies that the Sacred Heart unit in Dungarvan Community Hospital is closing. I spoke to the director of community services in the HSE today. He says that the only reason that the ward and the beds, which include rehab beds for stroke victims, are closing is because the hospital simply cannot recruit nurses. Hospitals cannot recruit nurses because up to this day the Taoiseach's party and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform have still not committed to the principle of equal work for equal pay. We have commissions for pay restoration but we do not have any fairness. We have said to the Taoiseach over and over again that if he does not deal with these issues, there will be consequences. We are now seeing the consequences by which a ward has been closed in a community hospital in Dungarvan. That is unacceptable. I want to know what the Taoiseach is going to do to make sure that we can recruit nurses into our public system.

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