I am happy to share my time.

Sentiment score: 0.71

Today we must recognise the immense pressure that our nurses are under in this country, but also other front-line health professionals across Ireland. This morning, I met with paramedics outside Mallow General Hospital who do not take this strike action lightly. Listening to them this morning, it was clear that this dispute was more than pay and grading. It is about burnout, staffing pressures, retention and a workforce that feels ignored for far too long. Last night, I spoke with nurses from CUMH and CUH who are genuinely fearful about the impact this strike action it will have on patient care, particularly vulnerable patients who may now have to rely on private transport. I want to make clear, however, that workers do not take strike action lightly. Ambulance staff, paramedics, nurses, healthcare assistants and front-line workers have carried this health service on their backs for years. They worked through Covid, through overcrowding crises, through staffing shortages and through increasing pressure in our emergency departments and hospital wards. This is nowhere more clear than in specialised nursing care. I want to specifically raise the concerns of Parkinson's Ireland regarding the shortage of Parkinson's nurse specialists. These nurses are essential for people living with Parkinson's disease. They support self-management, help patients manage systems and medications and reduce avoidable hospital admissions and pressure on acute services. In Ireland, we have around 60 Parkinson's nurse specialists. We currently have just 25, with two of those funded by Parkinson's Ireland itself. A recent UCC audit found that 57% of people living with Parkinson's in Ireland have documented access to specialised nurses. That is compared with 95% in the United Kingdom. There is a huge amount of work to do for front-line health services in this country, particularly for nurses.

Sentiment score: -0.03