Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I have a question for the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health. I have just left a meeting across the road in Buswells Hotel with representatives of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO. Many Deputies have been over there meeting with them this afternoon. The INMO is suggesting legislation to underpin and secure staffing in hospitals. I said that sounds good but legislation takes a long time. It is cumbersome and involves red tape. Surely there are shorter term ways by which we can do this - perhaps even through the budget.

It was devastating during the Covid period to see so many doctors and nurses photographed on beaches in Melbourne. There must be ancillary ways, through dealing with the cost of living or providing some allowances, that we can make it more attractive for these nursing and medicine graduates to stay here in Ireland. Legislation might be positive but it takes a long time. I want to make a pitch on this, the second-last sitting day before we head into the budgetary cycle in the autumn, that we do something in the budget that might incentivise nurses and doctors to stay here in Ireland when they graduate. This has to be much more carrot and far less stick. Surely we can do something to make sure they stay here. Inroads are being made. We can see that. The Minister is doing a lot of good work, but we need to address matter in the context of the people involved.

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