Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming in to answer my question about this. I do not thank her for reading out the section of the reply that claims kudos for the number of extra people employed by the HSE. Clearly, the HSE, the wards and the hospitals are understaffed.

Regarding this particular episode, these people who came back to work did so out of the goodness of their heart when they saw that the country was under pressure. They were told their pensions would not be affected. Then, the Department of Finance came along and said they would be affected. However, when they queried this with the HSE, they thought they were safe to work away, and this is what they did. Now it is ongoing. That is what I ask the Minister of State to sort out. It is not fair on these people.

I take these people’s word because they worked for the HSE and the country, most of them for more than 40 years. There was never a question of them relenting in or not complying with their duties. This is what they are saying to me. They were told by HSE south that they were safe and to work away. After I highlighted it here in the Dáil, some of them stopped working and went to agencies to do the same work. I believe these people. I ask the Minister of State to look at what happened because clearly the HSE HR told them they were safe to stay working, and that is what they did. They did not let the people down. Some of these people were dealing one to one with patients who maybe would have committed suicide or done a lot worse. They felt an onus on themselves to keep working. When they got the nod from the HSE that they were safe and they would be sorted out with the Department of Finance, that is what they did. I want the Minister of State to sort this out and take no more tax or extra money out of their pensions.

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