Maire Devine (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I agree with previous speakers' comments regarding the outrageous increase in costs for the national children's hospital. Another outrage is the damaging effects of this construction on the communities of Dublin 8, where I come from, in terms of air pollution, infrastructural damage to homes and traffic noise and the fact that this work which was supposed to be completed in a decade is being pushed out to 15 years.

The nurses unions have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action and strike. Today, the INMO is considering an all-out strike following a 95% ballot in favour of it. Yesterday, the PNA announced 95% support for a strike. Nurses are not known for their militancy but it seems it takes strike action to get things done. Nurses are at the coalface. This is about staff retention and recruitment, and the nurses' response to the public pay commission report of last September, which utterly failed to address the serious staff shortages.

On Friday my colleague, Deputy O'Reilly, received a response to a parliamentary question from the HSE which stated that there have been 11,000 acknowledged assaults on HSE staff over the last decade, 70% of which were on nurses. This is a perform storm. The winter plan, it appears, is year long. The most concentrated period of need is January to March and every day in our accident and emergency departments is a winter day. I ask the Leader to find out from the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, what action he proposes to take and if he will engage and provide meaningful solutions to this winter of discontent. Nurses are speaking with one voice and calling for the proper staffing of hospitals in order that they can do their job.