Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

-----of this Chamber to raise something that is not happening and to raise an issue that has let people down. I have a proposal to make on it. I realise as much as anyone else that the staff are not there and the HSE cannot get them.

Thousands of Ukrainian people have arrived on our shores. Could the English-speaking people from this country be trained up? I believe they have cars and everything. Could they be trained up to become part of the home help force even in Kerry? Just the English-speaking ones, I realise it would not work going into a house to elderly people if they did not understand the people.

We have a shortage of consultants. As a result, procedures are not happening and people are languishing and suffering adverse effects due to different consultants not being available. One man can only do so much, whatever his area is. Likewise we have a shortage of GPs in every aspect of Kerry, including south Kerry; every area of it. I am only wondering what we can do as elected Members here to ensure that we have an adequate number of GPs. God almighty, if some sick and elderly person at home rings a GP's office today, Wednesday, they will be very lucky to be seen next Monday. The Minister of State knows that hours and time are important to people when they are sick.

We are training as many nurses as any other country but they are not staying. Why? Are we not paying them properly? We hear they are going to Dubai and Australia. I happen on to an awful lot of what was long ago called an American wake, when someone was leaving our shores to go abroad for employment. I am happening across a lot of these now. They are going to Australia, Dubai and everywhere. Can we not do something to entice them or reward them sufficiently that they do not have to think about that again? For a long time we did have enough professionals. We are here today discussing regulating professionals but the sad fact is that we do not have enough in all the areas I mentioned.

Carers, those who are caring for family members, are not really being appreciated at home. They do not get sufficient time off or whatever. It is a tough struggle for some of them who find themselves minding a wife, a husband or some sick child, God help us, as a result of accidents and different things.

I have requested this before. It happens farmers a lot that they have an accident or get sick and find themselves in hospital. Then there is a panic that they do not have a medical card. They apply for a medical card but it takes a number of weeks to process, and we all recognise that. I am asking that from the day the person makes the application, if they qualify for the medical card later, that the medical card is dated to the day the application was sent in. Between that time and the date they get the medical card, there is a bill accruing that they cannot afford. It seems very logical to me. We can do it with other applications in social welfare and different things, so that the date the application goes in is the date the person becomes eligible. Why not with the medical card? I appreciate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle allowing me to raise these very important things.

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