Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Fáiltím roimh an díospóireacht seo. Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Hoey as ucht na hoibre atá déanta aici. Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire, an Teachta Donnelly.

I am a member of the Joint Committee on Health, which heard recently from Phil Ní Sheaghdha, general secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, on the topic of the protection and support of front-line healthcare workers. We know the enormous work that nurses and midwives do year-round but particularly in the last year, which has been a very difficult one for so many sectors of society but particularly for front-line staff. We have to acknowledge that. We owe them more than a round of applause. We owe them our gratitude and additional supports, and I hope we can see to that being provided.

As others have said, the world faces a shortage of nurses and midwives and we, as a country, rely much on other countries to provide our nursing staff. This is a challenge we have to grasp. We have to make the profession more attractive so more people here will wish to study and stay in the sector once they graduate. The Irish registered nurse and midwife is a huge asset to the HSE, and we should acknowledge and be proud of the professionalism, the education and the practice that exists in this country. We have educational and clinical infrastructure for undergraduate nurses and midwives which is top class. It is why our nurses are so highly thought of internationally and in such high demand abroad, and we have to acknowledge that as well.

I acknowledge the decision of the Government, of which I was a part, in March of last year to pay student nurses. This temporary hiring of nurses and midwifery students as healthcare assistants as part of the first Covid wave concluded on 31 August.Some of the commentary over recent months seems to ignore that as if this debate started on 1 September, ignoring the previous Government decision as if it had not occurred. It was the right decision at that time and I still believe it is the right decision now, and certainly as we experience another wave.

I welcome the review into nursing and midwifery that is taking place. It is due to report with recommendations this year also. Obviously, that will generate its own debate on the future of this very important topic. It is important that we show that nursing is a valuable and worthy career. It is a caring profession in which Ireland has a proud track record. We can all relate to people we know who are in the nursing profession or we have family who work in the nursing profession. We can all understand, from cradle to grave, the valuable role that nurses play. We can all expect interaction with the nursing and the caring professions when they look after our own families as they get older and ourselves as we get older. It is a very important profession and cohort of people. We all understand and acknowledge that.

While the Minister is here, I wish to raise the matter of the emergency department in Galway. I have raised this issue with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, previously at the health committee and in a Seanad Commencement debate taken by the Minister's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Niall Collins. I understand there is a high-level meeting on 2 March with the CEO of Saolta University Health Care Group, Mr. Tony Canavan, and the HSE estates department, to try to progress the matter of the emergency department, which been debated ad nauseamfor a number of years. Everybody accepts that the work is needed. Advance works have been done but we need to get to the next stage to ensure the Saolta University Health Care Group submits its planning application for that emergency department. I hope the Minister can assist in that.

I commend Senator Hoey and the Labour Party on this Bill. I hope the Minister will support it.