Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I have no doubt that the Minister of State is doing everything he can within his limits. The problem is that the limits are very tight. As in the earlier discussion about staffing and pay, everybody acknowledges that it is difficult to recruit and retain nurses in this country. It is even more difficult to recruit and retain psychiatric nurses. That is not because they have an aversion to working in institutions, hospitals and clinics in Ireland but because their pay and conditions, stress levels and the pressure on them are wicked. They prefer to emigrate. We are haemorrhaging nurses as a result. Of the 17 nurses needed to staff Linn Dara so the beds can be reopened and be operational how many have been recruited? I accept that the Minister of State is doing his best. He says that every effort is being made and I do not doubt his sincerity, but one arm of the Government is saying it is doing its best to keep the service going while another arm, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, is boasting about the new pay deal, which does not restore pay equality to nurses. That is restricting the ability of the service to recruit in the manner it requires. There are two different forces competing in tandem and that is wrecking fundamental and essential services such as the mental health services.

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