The Deputy is correct to say recruitment and retention have been a very significant issue, notwithstanding the fact we have recruited 22,000 in three years. In home care, for example, 53,000 people receive that every day now and there have been huge improvements and expansion. Eventually, we were expanding so much in home care that recruitment became an issue towards the latter part of that expansion. The work environment and the whole human resources practice within the HSE needs to improve and focus more on retention and the work environment for high-quality people who are working in our health service, because it is very stressful. It is never-ending. If we consider the acute side in particular, most people going into hospitals today need to go into hospital. The level of acuity is much increased. That means greater stress and burden on people who are working within the service. It is 24-7 with seriously ill people coming into hospitals, especially our acute tertiary hospitals, requiring the attention of our teams of staff. I acknowledge the point the Deputy has made in respect of really working hard on making the work environment better for those who work in the health service.

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