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

I fully appreciate the importance of the points that the Deputy is making. The difficulties we have retaining staff can impact on the care we look to make available to citizens and particularly to our very youngest and oldest. However, I would still make the point that overall we have a public service that is a lot bigger than it was a few years ago. That points to the success we have in recruiting and that the public service is still seen as a really good employer, legitimately, by many who are looking to join and stay within it. In recognition of the different issues the Deputy has raised I have little doubt that they will be a big part of the discussions we will have later in the year to, I hope, be able to reach agreement on a successor to Building Momentum. I appreciate that the Deputy is raising serious matters but we have a public sector that is growing and that points to the success of our ability to recruit and not to a failure.

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