Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The greatest issue facing our health service is the retention of staff. This is partly due to younger people choosing to emigrate as they find it difficult to purchase or afford a place to live in Ireland and due to our more mature and highly experienced staff quitting their jobs prematurely. Their love for their work has not changed, but the conditions they work under are intolerable. The mental and physical pressure they endure is unending and unsustainable. After Covid, the country came to a standstill to applaud our nurses and healthcare staff for their extraordinary work during the pandemic. We need to remember their work every day is no less extraordinary. The work of our health teams is highly pressurised and unrelenting. It is work that is physically and emotionally exhausting. If we do not lighten the burden and increase the staffing numbers and resources, these jobs will become untenable for many people.

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