Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to say a few words on this motion. Nurses are genuine carers of all of us. When we end up in hospital or in a doctor's surgery, they are the ones who calm us. When we are anxious about our health, they are the ones who speak to us. I had a bad fall some years ago and as a result had many visits to hospital for surgery. I know the value of nurses and the way they look after people. They are the people who must be respected.

It has been made obvious time and again that nurses do not go on strike. History shows us they have not gone on strike. It is important we look after them and recognise the difficulties they are experiencing. That is why I welcome the intervention of the Labour Court. I hope the discussions that will take place will deal in a reasonable way with reasonable people because nurses are reasonable people. They make a major contribution to all our lives because at some stage everyone, through their family or whatever, will have an engagement with a nurse in terms of hospital or doctor surgery appointments.

It should be acknowledged that we have had many issues with the health service in recent years, particularly mental health issues. Many of the psychiatric nurses who deal with people with mental health issues are under an enormous strain. The pain those people experience worrying about others is not often recognised. Psychiatric nurses are concerned for people with mental health issues.

Let us hope the Labour Court sorts out the issue and that the nurses will be recognised because they have a grievance and it should be sorted out.

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