Mary Fitzpatrick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also ask the House to recognise that today is a day we should all be mindful those with challenges and who battle disabilities daily, and also their families and friends and the communities that support them. It is really important. We all have our challenges, visible and invisible, but today is a day for those with specific disabilities. We should all be mindful of them.

A related matter is those who care for people with disabilities. Many are carers, family carers and friends who care in an informal way, but also the nurses, midwives and those in formal care settings. The Leader raised this as a Commencement matter earlier this week and it is an issue of significant concern to my Fianna Fáil colleagues, and was discussed at length at last night's meeting of our parliamentary party. We need the Minister of Health to come to the House to address the treatment and value of our nurses and midwives and, in particular, student nurses and midwives. I understand he was dealing with other health matters yesterday and was in the Dáil to deal with the debate on a Private Members' motion, which was a political stunt, largely aimed at gaining political currency, but there is a sincere interest and commitment on all our parts to ensure that the nurses and midwives who have worked tirelessly and generously throughout the Covid pandemic, as they always do, are properly valued in our society and by Government. The Government has awarded a historic additional €4 billion in funding for the health service. I and my colleagues believe that all our nurses and midwives need to be valued not only with expressions of our appreciation but with financial reward and compensation. There will never be enough money to pay for the work they do and to put a price on that work is to cheapen it but fair is fair. I ask the Leader to again raise this with the Minister for Health.