Today, on International Nurses Day, we recognise and thank nurses working across every part of our health service and at every stage of life. We think of those nurses in our hospitals, in GP surgeries and in communities. We think of public health nurses, addiction nurses, mental health nurses, intensive care nurses, palliative care nurses, paediatric nurses, geriatric nurses, and those working in disability services, cancer care, maternity care, health promotion and the Irish Blood Transfusion Service. Irish nurses have earned a reputation across the world for excellence, professionalism and compassion. That is a source of enormous pride for this country. My aunt Stephanie worked as a nurse and a midwife for much of her life. She cared for patients here in Ireland but also in many areas affected by war, famine and insecurity. She taught nursing and midwifery in some of the largest and worst refugee camps in the world. Today, on International Nurses Day, I think of her and of all of those nurses, healthcare workers and health facilities that have been attacked, particularly in Gaza but also in the West Bank and Lebanon, as Israel continues with its genocide. Today is also an opportunity to recognise the international character of modern nursing in Ireland. Nurses working in our health services have come here from every corner of the globe. We are deeply grateful to every nurse, whether from Ireland or beyond, who cares for people here with dignity, skill and humanity. Gratitude alone is not enough, however. If we truly value nurses and nursing, we must ensure safe staffing, fair pay, decent and safe conditions and affordable housing. We must tackle the burn-out, exhaustion and unsafe workloads. The figures from the INMO are deeply worrying. Too many nurses report unsafe staffing levels, serious stress and pressure to work additional hours. Many are considering leaving their workplace or leaving their profession entirely. It speaks to the compassion, dignity and discipline of nurses that, when they are asked to do more, they tend to do so until they hit the point at which they can do no more. That is not sustainable for workers or for patients. As we are speaking here, I will also express solidarity with nurses' colleagues in the National Ambulance Service. These workers taking industrial action today are paramedics, advanced paramedics and EMTs and provide extraordinary front-line clinical care under immense pressure. They also deserve proper staffing, recognition and meaningful engagement from Government. No more than paramedics and the rest of their colleagues in the health service, nurses are essential to society and to humanity. They deserve action, fairness and protection. They need to be acknowledged. If it boils down to one word, it is "respect". Gratitude and platitudes are easy but respect costs.

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