Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy can absolutely always argue that we can and should do more regarding the number of people working in the health service. What he cannot dispute is the fact that there are now significantly more people working in the health service than there were only a few years ago. There are actually 27,744 more people working in the health service now than when this Government came to office, including 9,185 more nurses and midwives, 4,160 more health and social care professionals and 3,479 extra doctors and dentists. We can have a debate about health, but let us not pretend there are fewer people working in the health service than there were a few years ago. There are significantly more.

See this speech in context