Seanad debates

Wednesday, 22 June 2022

10:00 am

Photo of Victor BoyhanVictor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

It was an excellent job. There was an energy there. I had no doubt even then that this would go somewhere. Members across all parties in this House are not unified too often. We are politicians with different perspectives. However, we are united as one on this message and tonight's debate has demonstrated that well. I also thank Robert Dunne, the research and communications officer in our team. He did considerable work and engaged with many Members. I know that many organisations are linked into tonight's meeting. They engage very much with their membership which is important.

As we hopefully agree tonight's motion, we are calling for the Government to take action to address the shortage of 100 neurological nurses, who are vital for patient care and for the reduction of neurological waiting lists. That is one of the calls we are signing up to if we support the motion tonight. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Feighan, for stepping in for the Minister for Health. I know this matter goes beyond his portfolio. We are also making a commitment for the Minister for Health to publish the Department's proposals to solve the shortfall in the provision of neurological nursing posts across Ireland's ten hospitals which specialise in neurological services. We are also calling on the Minister for Health to prioritise adequate budget 2023 funding to target achieving that figure of 100 additional neurology nurses nationwide in line with the research and international best practice and recommendations.

Members of this House are in politics and we have connections with political movements and parties within the House. We have given voice today to an amazing campaign by Patients Deserve Better. I am confident we will pass the motion tonight and we can use that to keep the pressure on. This gives us further leverage to keep the pressure on the Government to deliver or seek to deliver as close to these targets as we possibly can. I thank the Acting Chairperson, the House and the Joint Committee on Health which did a considerable amount of work on this. I am not a member of the that committee, but I know from talking to members of the committee and looking at reports that they did considerable work.

United we stand; divided we fall. We are together in unity on this issue. Let us continue to work and keep in contact with Patients Deserve Better, which ran an excellent campaign and has been the motivating force behind tonight's motion.

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