Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

While this is an issue, it is not an issue in all of our hospitals. In the context of some hospitals, the cost of living in the local area is much lower and rents and house prices are much more affordable. However, as Deputy Kenny has said, in some parts of the country, it really is an issue for someone on, say, an ICU staff salary, whether that is an ICU nurse or ICU healthcare assistant. It can be difficult. There is no question about that. The good news is that we are significantly increasing our nursing graduate places. From the start of this Government's term of office to the end, we will have gone from approximately 1,800 first year entry places to approximately 2,500. That is approximately 700 extra places per year, and we are going to continue to grow. We need to double the number of nursing places. We must have a situation whereby people want to work in the HSE. Approximately nine out of ten graduating nurses either start work in Ireland or, after a few years abroad, come back here. However, I fully acknowledge the cost-of-living issue is one that the Government and everyone in the Oireachtas need to keep working on.

See this speech in context