John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

People in the service maintain and I have always believed that it is not all about money or staffing levels. It has been suggested in this debate that we need an extra 1,403 staff. People refer to A Vision for Change as if they read it letter by letter. A Vision for Change explicitly states that 5,400 nurses are working in institutionalised care and the transfer to modern community facilities would require 2,800 nurses. Unfortunately, the people I have visited in hospitals may listen to the negative comments passed here this evening. I intend to send a message back to them that I believe my job is to treat this as a positive commitment to the reform programme, which we are only half way through. However, given the Government commitment and the capital programme we will see that commitment delivered in A Vision for Change.