Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I want to raise the issue of public health nurse, PHN, shortages. There is a general problem with a lack of public health nurses in many areas, but in my constituency, the public health centre on Old County Road has issued a letter that it is suspending developmental checks. Developmental checks conducted by PHNs are an incredibly important part of early intervention and of identifying problems for young people, children and families. The loss of developmental checks is an incredible worry and is simply storing up problems for the future. Can we address the need and the public health nurse shortages in general? In particular, Old County Road suspending developmental checks is a grave risk to the community. I hope the HSE, with Government intervention, will address the staff shortages there as quickly as possible.

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