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

Towards the end of her reply the Minister of State said, "This issue is being addressed by the HSE". We see the words "issue" and "review". I do not believe a bit of it. This has been festering for months. Were it not for the bravery of the staff within St. Finbarr's Hospital in speaking out on this issue, it would not even have come to the fore. The way staff are being treated is disgusting. It beggars belief that we will not invest in our elderly people. I have nothing against the agency staff, but we need to maintain a proper level of staff within our hospitals and give them a sense of purpose and belonging. I hear that the issue is being addressed by the HSE but it has failed so many times that it is frightening. I spoke to the INMO a while back and I was told that the HSE is spending €2 million a week on agency staff. I do not understand why we cannot retain our own staff, who are experienced and believe in what they do, within the system. I ask the Minister of State to go back and get a proper black and white statement so that we can go back to the staff in St. Finbarr's and tell them that their jobs are secure and that they are doing a great job.

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