Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It falls to me to close the debate. I thank the Deputies who contributed, both those who spoke in support of our motion as well as those who, while not necessarily supporting it, did not speak in opposition of it either. In particular, I thank the members of Fianna Fáil and other parties for lending their support to the Sinn Féin call for a pay commission to deal specifically with health service workers. That monumental and fantastic decision sends a clear message to health care workers about who is on their side.

The main enemy to progress on this matter is the notion that the crisis is somehow inevitable. It is not. I urge the Minister to speak to people in his party and ask them to put their weight behind the public health service rather than the private sector in other countries, to stop producing leaflets asking people to go abroad and to fight for a decent public health service. There is an alternative and Sinn Féin has that alternative. We have worked it out and it is fully costed. We have set aside more money than has the Government because that is what is necessary. I will keep saying that for as long as the Taoiseach keeps getting it wrong. It is my pleasure to correct him.

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