Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Yes, because I have spoken to nurses who have said that they are paid 50% less than their colleagues who work in Australia yet they have the exact same qualifications. Yes, 50% less is half of the pay. Irish nurses are, in some instances, being paid 50% less than their colleagues working abroad who have the same qualifications. We know that before they even finish their degree and go out on their own, nurses are considering emigrating. We also know that the nurses that we currently employ in our hospitals are overworked and stresses are beginning to be felt by patients.

We all have many anecdotes about how the health service is being affected. The other day I met a lady who told me about her experience. She went to hospital because she had a sore leg after falling off her bike. She ended up falling off a trolley and breaking a tooth because her concussion was so bad and the nurse in charge was on her own. It was not a case that the nurse had not looked after the woman properly but of the nurse in charge being completely stretched in every possible way to meet demands. I ask the Minister for Health to engage with the nurses in a meaningful manner to ensure the strike does not continue. We cannot have six days of Irish nurses being on strike. It is not helpful at all.

The second issue I wish to raise relates to anti-social behaviour and drug dealing on city streets. A technology company that has been in operation for 17 years has been forced to move out of the inner city area because of drug dealing and anti-social behaviour at the door of its premises. Such negative behaviour is not just confined to that area because when one walks from Christchurch to the Guinness Storehouse or Kilmainham Gaol one frequently sees drug dealing.It seems to be done without any issue. There does not seem to be any fear of arrest or any deterrent whatsoever. I ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to look at this matter. This is a tourist area containing various distilleries, Kilmainham Gaol and the Guinness Storehouse, and people are openly dealing drugs on the street, so it is a very serious matter. It affects the tourism industry and the communities living in these areas, because it is just not nice to have people dealing drugs on one's doorstep.

The third issue I want to raise is one that is hugely concerning to all of us, particularly after the passing of the Brady amendment last night. Ultimately, we learned today that a hard Border will impact very negatively on the Irish economy. We have been told that if a hard Brexit occurs, there will be an increase in unemployment of up to 2%, which could be up to 50,000 people. The chat about renegotiating the backstop is very worrying. We wish the Tánaiste and the Minister of State with responsibility for European affairs, Deputy McEntee, the best. We are behind them 100% but it is very scary, especially with regard to our preparedness. I have a small business and have had no interaction with the Government in terms of help, support and how it will affect us, and neither has the business community in Crumlin. I am a solicitor and I can say that the level of conveyancing has dropped. People and the markets in Dublin are very scared. People are not engaging in transactions at the same volume they did in recent months, and I believe it is because of the significant amount of fear about Brexit. There is a lot of fear among the business community, particularly if the UK crashes out. I ask the Leader to consider these matters and I look forward to hearing his response.