Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Tá mé sona sásta seans a bheith agam caint faoin ábhar tábhachtach seo. Ba mhaith liom mo chuid tacaíochta a thabhairt do na haltraí.

Sinn Féin supports the thrust of the Fianna Fáil motion but there are obvious gaps. The amendment we have brought forward, along with Independents 4 Change, the Social Democrats and the Labour Party, is about closing these gaps. In particular, our amendment tackles the issues of pay, recruitment and retention.

The series of planned strikes by the INMO and the PNA are actions of last resort. An email sent to me and many other Deputies today gets to the heart of this matter. The writer does not want to be named, which is her entitlement, but I want to read part of her email into the record of the Dáil. It states:

While part of this dispute is about pay, the working conditions of nurses and midwives need to be addressed immediately.

I have on a number of occasions needed nursing and midwifery care. On one of these occasions, nearly 9 years ago, I was an hour away from giving birth to my stillborn son. At this time, the nurses and midwives were again looking for better working and pay conditions from the government and I commented to the midwife that I was sorry about how badly they were being treated by the government. The midwives that delivered my stillborn son were amazing. The care they gave to myself, my son and my family was full of love, empathy and compassion. It saddens and angers me greatly, that 9 years later, the working conditions have gotten worse for the nursing and midwifery staff.

I would also like to make you aware that I have a hospital appointment for the 30th January. This is for a simple test which will be the final test of 4 tests needed for a diagnosis. Not getting this test will delay my treatment. Even if my treatment is delayed, I will give my full support to the nurses and midwives on the day. I will also be joining ... [them] on the picket line.

Please give your support to the nurses and midwives and improve their lives and working conditions.

Sin an méid a bhfuil ón bhean chróga seo. I ask the Dáil to support the amendment to the motion tabled by Sinn Féin, the Independents 4 Change, the Social Democrats and the Labour Party.

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