Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have to take a deep breath today. The Leader will know that my first speech in the Seanad was for the nurses of Ireland. The Taoiseach yesterday and the Minister for Health today showed they must be badly advised given their most recent decision to cancel Christmas leave for nurses and doctors. It has drawn the ire of health workers and the health unions, including the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, INMO, the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, and the Psychiatric Nurses Association, PNA. It is deflecting from the real crisis, including the absence to date of a winter plan and inadequate bed capacity. The trolley crisis and the waiting lists in our health service are not just a Christmas problem but represent a year-round crisis due to the lack of capital investment in public hospitals. There are 500 permanent hospital consultant posts unfilled. There are 2,500 nursing vacancies, with at least 1,000 nurses due to retire this year. The winter plan is now to cancel Christmas for staff. The Leader does not understand-----