Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am very glad to be here supporting the motion and the amendment because recent attempts on the national airwaves and by some Members of the Houses through the Sunday newspapers to control the narrative of the reality of the lives of nurses and midwives and their pay and working conditions and the reason they have been forced into industrial action has been largely discredited by the nurses and their union and in the minds of the general public who are lock, stock and barrel standing behind the nurses. The INMO is clear that this dispute is about safe staffing in the public health service, something that is very precious to all our citizens. The HSE has not been able to recruit and retain enough nurses and midwives on current pay scales. The narrative belongs to those directly affected. I do not have the time to tell their stories as they have done so eloquently themselves on social media but I will summarise one. She said all the nurses have stories like this, they go home sore and sad and tired. They do their best but they have had enough. They need more nurses and better pay and conditions and she asks that people please listen to them when they say they need help. That is the message that is coming out here loud and clear.

Since embarking on a programme of austerity successive Governments have undermined the health service and the professions of nursing and midwifery and there is a cost for that, not just on the shoulders of nurses but also on patients. The INMO has previously highlighted the fact that we are losing Irish trained staff to the UK and other mainly English-speaking countries. The HSE's response is to recruit from outside. It is not cost-effective to pay out over €100 million every year on agency staff when we should be using our resources to create good jobs and retain qualified people in the public service. We need action on this and we need it dealt with now.

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