Paudie Coffey (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

There is no doubt that the Government is still trying to grapple and deal with the consequences of the Fianna Fáil legacy that was left to this country and its impact on public services. This was outlined by various speakers in the House. There are many problems that remain to be addressed. I will speak on two examples that are of concern to me. There was a recent announcement by the HSE in Waterford of the temporary closure of more than 16 beds in the Sacred Heart unit at Dungarvan Community Hospital. This is a hospital for older people where beds are provided for step-down, respite and rehabilitation, with some long-stay beds. The Leader will agree that this announcement of closures is unacceptable. It puts pressure on our acute services and, in fact, we need more step-down and respite beds. The reason given by the HSE for this temporary closure is nursing staff shortages and the difficulty in recruiting nurses, not only in this sector but right across the health services in the State. Eight nurses are required to reopen the Sacred Heart unit and I know the hospital is actively advertising for them. This will have a knock-on impact on acute services in University Hospital Waterford where step-down beds are no longer available. Patients will then be retained in the hospital and it will add to the waiting lists. I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Health to the house to outline the HSE's plans to recruit nursing staff urgently to alleviate these pressures.

Recruitment difficulties are not just related to the nursing sector. I note the recent report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Skills which said that only 2% of current school leavers are entering apprenticeships. When a comparison is drawn with the likes of Germany, where 60% of school leavers enter an apprenticeship programme to look at earn and learn options, it is clear that it should be a concern to us all that there are not enough apprentices to meet the growing needs of our economy. Not all school leavers are academic and this can be seen in the numbers of students dropping out of various third level programmes. The country is experiencing a skills shortage. I acknowledge that the Government has announced a national skills strategy. Will the Leader invite the Minister for Education and Skills to outline his plans and strategy to deal with these skills shortages. Beyond traditional apprenticeships, we need more programmes to encourage apprentices and trainees into sectors such as medical devices and financial services. This debate is urgently required to address these shortages.