Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I better not call the Minister "Taoiseach" whatever I do. After a long and hard fought community-based campaign relating to South Tipperary General Hospital, we will, hopefully, see construction of a modular unit that will provide 40 additional beds for the facility. Planning permission was granted for this recently. Despite the many premature announcements surrounding delivery, this is a welcome development. However, what is deeply concerning to patients, staff and the community is the issue of recruitment and retention of staff in the unit. I have been told by one of my colleagues that 75 new staff, including nurses will be needed. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, says that at the current rate of recruitment, it will be impossible to find the staff needed to allow that unit to open. Not only would this be a crushing blow but it would greatly increase the existing problems in the hospital, where I understand that there is a staff deficit of 35 nurses. This is causing awful stress to patients and staff alike and it is unfair to them.

The INMO indicated the total number of nursing staff was to increase nationally by 1,224 whole-time equivalents yet the latest data show only a net increase of 13 whole-time equivalents was achieved. That is not even 1%. It is appalling. It seems increasingly likely that it will result in a long list of wards and other spectacular new facilities around the country lying idle and empty due to an inability to get staff. One of those is in Cashel, where more than €21 million was spent, and it is lying idle. It is a pristine building which the Minister of Health saw.

The Government’s Bring them Home campaign, which was launched in July 2015, targeted 500 nurses and midwives employed in the UK. However, only 91 nurses were enticed to return to work in the Irish public health system and a staggering 40 of them left prior to fulfilling a year's service. What is wrong? It clearly indicates that something is profoundly wrong with the current system and that it will have a devastating impact on South Tipperary General Hospital's future. Will the Minister outline to me what measures the Government is taking to ensure that South Tipperary General Hospital and its modular unit will be targeted for adequate staff recruitment? I am very concerned. Unfortunately it is not the only issue of staff recruitment affecting the health infrastructure in our county. Information supplied to me in reply to a parliamentary question showed that Clonmel, Thurles, Cashel, Tipperary town, Nenagh and Roscrea each has only one emergency ambulance to cover night duty from Monday to Sunday each week. The reply given to me shows there is not a single rapid response vehicle for either day or night duty in Thurles, Nenagh, Roscrea or Cashel. It is appalling when the Government is talking about the recovery in the economy.

In January of last year I was informed by the National Ambulance Service that despite recommendations from its first ever capacity review on the urgent need to recruit additional staff, this would only occur over the next four years. It is now clear that as far as Tipperary is concerned, there has been zero additional capacity built into the ambulance service covering the county. It is also clear that no matter what area of healthcare delivery or staff recruitment one looks at, the Government is failing on all fronts.

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