Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)

I apologise to the Minister of State for the mix-up last week and thank her.

At present, while nurses are retiring in abundance due to pension incentives and having achieved full years of service, they are not being replaced. For example, in Longford-Westmeath hospital, of the 11 nurses who are retiring this year, two are doing so on grounds of ill-health while the rest are leaving simply because they are coming to their natural retiring age. Although budgets are inadequate in all hospitals, a ban now is in place on the use of agency nurses. It had been the case that when a nurse retired, the money would follow and an agency nurse could be used to fill the breach. However, this no longer is the case. Only minimal overtime is being approved. How can patient care not be compromised if nurses are not being replaced? Most hospitals were short-staffed to begin with and matters are steadily worsening. I ask that the Government revisit the moratorium on the recruitment of nurses because there will be casualties and people will die. Staff morale is at an all-time low. I have spoken to nurses in urban and rural areas.

A number of weeks ago, I raised the issue of a service in Mullingar. Owing to the industrial action, the Minister of State could not get a response, which is in itself a dismal response. The matter pertains to the same issue in that there are 245 service users in St. Mary's day care centre in Mullingar. Due to the retirement of a staff nurse, there are serious concerns about whether the service will continue.

A fantastic new building attached to St. Vincent's care centre for the elderly in Athlone, the Athlone hospice, was built through local fund-raising and money from the lotto. It is a beautiful, state-of-the-art centre. I warmly welcome the commitment by the Minister, through Deputy O'Rourke, that the hospice will open, but I am concerned it will be consequential on events in the day care centre and Loughloe House, a centre for the elderly. I was told today that the number of beds at St. Vincent's Hospital, Athlone, is to reduce to 30 and that the nurses have been offered positions elsewhere in the county. Closing community beds for the elderly is not a good move. We need to keep them open. Some 15 nurses will be required to open the hospice unit in Athlone.

I have serious concerns. Mullingar hospital is in the same situation in that nurses are not being replaced. The population is growing and the same number of people are getting sick. I ask that this matter be revisited. Managers are being appointed in the HSE, so it is crazy not to look after the front-line staff doing the work. I am not saying that managers do not work, but surely the people caring for the sick are the most important.