Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Ward for raising this issue. I fully appreciate the importance of both developmental checks and the vital role public health nurses play in our communities. The issue here is not one of funding, but of the recruitment of public health nurses. Efforts are under way to make progress in this regard. We have successfully recruited about 20,000 extra people across the health service since the onset of Covid-19, which is a significant expansion. It is challenging to recruit more people into some areas. I will ask the Minister to respond to the Deputy on this specific issue.

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