Lorraine Clifford-Lee (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I apologise for missing the start of this debate on what is a very serious issue. The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health recently heard from a number of different unions representing health workers including the INMO, Fórsa and the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO. It was really shocking to hear what some healthcare workers are putting up with. The shortage of healthcare staff is a global problem but that does not mean they should be facing such harassment in the workplace. What was clear from that meeting is that there is a culture within healthcare settings of not reporting attacks because staff feel that management will not deal with them adequately. That is a really important point and one that can be tackled. While it is completely unacceptable, there are numerous reasons for people feeling under pressure in their workplaces and we can do a lot. I thank the Labour Party for initiating this debate, which is a really important one.