Richard O'Donoghue (Limerick County, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Taoiseach 100% that people who work in Ireland deserve to get fair pay. The top earner in the HSE earns €974,000 a year whereas a newly qualified nurse earns €32,552. Again, we go back to the people who work and these nurses work tirelessly to help us. The Government is backing a person who earns €18,730.69 per week against a nurse who earns €625.80 and then it introduces a recruitment freeze in the HSE. Who is the Government actually working for? That wage would pay for 30 newly qualified nurses. The Government gives somebody €974,000 and stands over that. The top five earners in the HSE earn €3 million. A total of 92 nurses could be employed for that money but the Government introduces a recruitment freeze. The Taoiseach says that his Government is working for the people and for basic pay. It is criminal that these people get that type of money.

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