Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Good man, all right, I will. They are getting a break and they will get a longer break than they are looking for if they are not careful. The Labour Party Deputies are not here for these Bills or debates. They were not here last week either for the debate on rural crime. It was a proud party founded in Clonmel in Tipperary, but God help us.

As I said, the NAGP chief executive has stated that FEMPI is driving GPs abroad in search of better terms and conditions. They can get them and they are over here recruiting all of the time. The previous Taoiseach made many commitments, and even had posters and billboards saying he was going to get rid of the trolley crisis. However, we cannot get doctors and the doctors we have here are mistreated. Go into any accident and emergency department and one will see the mistreatment. We cannot get the doctors and the trolleys are longer and there are more trolleys than ever. There was 9% more managers in the HSE in 2016 compared to 2015. We need to be fair and respectful to the people on the front line who put their shoulders to the wheel. There are 9% more managers. What are they managing? Chaos the vast majority of the time. We have ward managers, floor managers, bed managers, linen managers and hygiene managers and they do not have pillows, pillowcases or blankets in Clonmel accident and emergency department most of the time. We have all of these managers and what are they managing? Absolute chaos, with trolleys out the door and that is the way the Government seems to want it, but we do not have the doctors or the nurses.

The Minister tells us about growth of 6% or 12% and that we are the fastest growing economy. People are getting sick of seeing this. They do not see it in their pockets. The Government does not seem to realise these people are the movers and shakers. When they have a decent bit of money they spend it locally. They spend it on their families. They spend it on food, services in their houses and improving their lot. They regenerate the rural economy. This is a false economy.

Something like this cannot be kept in place when its time has elapsed. The dogs in the street know that. It is false, misleading and trickery of the highest order to keep that legislation in place. This Bill does little or nothing to deal with that. It must deal with it because it is totally unfair and morally wrong. The Minister is empty of empathy for lower-paid people, the GPs and those in other sectors such as council workers. These are ordinary people.

Gardaí are also being mistreated. The assistant commissioner could decide last night on a whim that there was no more money to pay the gardaí overtime until next January. The Taoiseach this morning was not sure whether it was this year's pay, next year's pay or what pay they are getting. He did not seem to care either. That instruction was sent out. It is only when there are no gardaí to mind the gate here that the Government will start thinking about the gardaí. It all appears to be on the Government's terms. It is what suits the Government, not what suits Johnny, Mary, Tommy, Biddy or anybody else in the country.

See this speech in context