Mairead Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Indeed, we hope this is a good omen. I too wish the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, a speedy recovery. As local Oireachtas Members, we have met representatives of the HSE and the unions. It angers me that what should be worked out between the unions and the HSE is being brought into this Chamber. At the end of the day, the unions are not here to defend what they feel. We need to find a solution to this but that is not for us to sort out; it needs to be sorted out between the unions and the HSE. We know how important respite services are, as we heard from the hundreds of people who attended the meeting in Clifden. If staffing and recruitment is the issue, we need to look at it on an international basis. That is the crux of it.

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