Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We of course appreciate how hard our doctors and nurses are working in providing the medical care so badly needed after the demanding years we have been through. We can see the impact that is having on waiting lists. Regarding the industrial action referred to by the Deputy, and taking the national consultant hospital doctors, NCHD, issue, which is now the subject of potential industrial action and unrest, the number of such doctors that we have in our health system has now gone from 6,091 to 7,720. That is an increase of more than 1,600 over the last number of years. The number of people working in our health service, that is the numbers of front-line staff, including nurses and doctors, that we have, is I think nearly at an all-time high.

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