Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate what the Taoiseach is saying. I believe the Government needs to simplify this, particularly if it is to bring in new regulations for An Garda Síochána, so I urge the Taoiseach to consider that.

I also wish to ask the Taoiseach a question about something I revealed yesterday. We have 200 fewer full-time nurses in the HSE than we did in December, which is incredible. How in the name of God did that happen? We have 1,800 temporary contract nurses more than we had. I am following what the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, is saying about the number of healthcare workers he will bring in, which is 1,600 by the end of next year. I remind the Taoiseach of the figures of 8,500 by the end of this year and 12,500 by the end of the winter plan in April. Nobody watching these proceedings and no one here believes that is achievable, given the track record I have just outlined, so what will the Taoiseach change to ensure we can get more permanent nurses, who are so badly needed, into the system? Will he once and for all ensure that the exploitation of student nurses ends now? It is utterly wrong. For his information, on the HSE website, as of an hour ago, there were 70 advertisements for nursing, three of them in the community care area and only two for more than one nurse in any setting, so it does not look in any way as if there is any hope of achieving those numbers.

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