Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is ironic that we are discussing the issue of staffing while representatives of the Psychiatric Nurses Association and the Irish Medical Organisation are appearing before the Joint Committee on the Future of Mental Health Care to discuss the challenges in staff recruitment. As my colleagues outlined, cutting staff and creating a toxic environment in any hospital, never mind St. Finbarr's Hospital in Cork, is criminal. On top of this, we have heard the magic word "review". A review is a money saving initiative on the part of the HSE. One of the staff said, "We are just hanging in there." If that is what passes for a job, the HSE and the Government have a lot to answer for. I appeal to the Minister of State to treat the staff with respect. They do a wonderful job and should be respected. Given what they do, all nurses should be sent a "Thank You" card and beatified when they finish work. It is not a job but a vocation. I ask the Minister of State to address this issue in a humane way, not with statistics or a review.

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