Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It might make our job harder.

It is quite clear both the Departments involved desire an outcome which solves this. The Senator raised the issue of fairness. We must be fair to everybody involved in the Lansdowne Road agreement and in terms of public sector pay. There is flexibility in the agreement but it is within the agreement that solutions must be found. A process was identified by which we could track this and if it proved to help to increase retention rates of nurses, there might be scope. This is the process that was set out and which I understand was agreed through consultation. Progress has been made on this, with some good changes already made over the past year or two. A little more time and more data measuring and reviewing the figures might give us the solution the Senator desires. The Ministers, Deputies Harris and Donohoe, desire to see more nurses working here on the front line because we need them there. There must be fairness for all involved in the Lansdowne Road agreement and the Senator understands there must be a process in how this can be addressed.