Ossian Smyth (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am talking about the physical constraints in emergency departments where people are too close together or do not have beds or wards while they are waiting to go into the acute hospital. Beyond the physical constraints, however, are the recruitment problems. It is no good having a bed and a ward without staff. In the event of a second wave or another infection or coronavirus, we will need more staff. Is there a plan to redeploy or retrain staff from other areas? Could theatre nurses be redeployed to intensive care units, or could dermatologists be redeployed as front-line staff as needed? Those areas tend to get very quiet during a pandemic because people do not want to go near the hospital for elective services and those staff members are needed elsewhere. Some redeployment occurred but is there a general plan for redeployment in the event of a second wave?

See this speech in context