Michael McDowell (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It is an honour to second the motion that Senator Boyhan has brought before the House. I wish to say a few words to re-emphasise what he said. This is not point-scoring against the present Government . This is looking at a deficit that exists in the health system in Ireland. We are not moving this motion in a negative or carping spirit at all. We are endorsing the campaign for an increase in the resources that are going towards neurological nursing in Ireland and a recruitment and training campaign to make sure we have adequate numbers of neurologically-trained nurses.

As we all know, neurology is a developing science. We are now beginning to understand in ways we did not before just how much suffering is caused and damage done by neurological disease. Research must be there, of course, and there are some signs already. I listened to a BBC radio report today about some of the causes of Alzheimer's disease and the question of vascularisation of certain areas of the brain. Research is going on right across the board with regard to some of these scourges that affect our society. One of the people involved in that research said that if we can tackle that particular condition, for instance, we can improve the standard of life for people in their 70s and 80s - I am now 70 myself, actually 71 now that I think about it - in order that towards the end of a person's natural lifespan, he or she does not suffer from neurological or vascular problems or whatever if the proper research is done.

As Senator Boyhan said, it is hugely important not merely that we have the specialist posts filled but that we also have a cohort of nursing staff who can support them. There is a limit to what specialists can do in terms of treating patients if they do not have the valuable support of the nursing profession. It is a question of training and making resources available for those positions. It is also a question of retaining the people who are skilled in those areas and ensuring their skills remain in this country.

Sometimes, I think there are some fundamental problems with the health service in Ireland. I am not happy that between consultants and non-consultants, we have arrived at a happy system of providing in-hospital medical attention at the doctor level. I do not really believe there is a pathway to promotion or pathway to excellence for many of our non-consultant hospital doctors. There is to some extent a two-tier profession in existence. I am fully in favour of people going abroad to get valuable and absolutely necessary expertise but it does sometimes strike me as odd that we have people in Ireland who are trapped at a certain level. There is a glass ceiling above them. They are asked to work extremely hard to keep our hospital system going. I have no doubt the same would apply to the nursing profession. Nurses are in demand worldwide, particularly skilled Irish nurses.We have to provide career paths that satisfy patient needs in Ireland.

In a constructive spirit, I endorse everything Senator Boyhan has done. I congratulate him on selecting this issue and asking our group to make available its Private Members' time to bring it to the fore. The Senator mentioned Senator Maria Byrne having raised the issue in the context of Limerick. Senator Buttimer has also said similar things in the House with regard to Cork. This is a real issue. It is not a party issue but a systemic issue in the health service. In that spirit, I regard it as an honour and a privilege to be in a position to second the motion tabled by the Seanad Independent Group and moved by Senator Boyhan.