Is é inniu Lá Idirnáisiúnta na nAltraí, ina dtugaimid aitheantas do na daoine a choinníonn an córas sláinte ag feidhmiú lá i ndiaidh lae, go ciúin agus go dícheallach ar bheagán buíochais. Go raibh maith agaibh. Today is International Nurses Day, a day to give thanks to the people who are the backbone of our health service, the unsung heroes doing so much of the heavy lifting of care work in our hospitals and communities. However, one day of appreciation is not enough. Respect for nurses must be shown every day of the year. According to the INMO, we are short more than 5,000 nurses across the State, yet last week the HSE introduced a recruitment moratorium affecting nursing posts. At a time when our health service is already under enormous pressure, we need more nurses, not fewer. If agency spending is too high, the solution is to invest in direct employment, not to freeze recruitment. Nurses are overworked and increasingly unable to deal with the cost of living. We are effectively training nurses for export. I have dealt with a young full-time nurse in my constituency of Kildare South. She is a single mother and at risk of homelessness after receiving an eviction notice from her landlord. This is happening across the State and it is shameful. Strikingly, community nurses, predominantly women, were forgotten about in the most recent package of measures despite facing drastically increasing cost pressures tied to their work. We must also speak about safety. No one should go to work fearing abuse or intimidation, yet we know nurses face verbal abuse, physical threats and, far too often, racism in the workplace with 12 incidents reported daily. This is not acceptable and is not inevitable. If we truly value nurses, we must provide safe workplaces, fair pay, sustainable conditions and a health service where nurses can build a life and a career in Ireland. Teastaíonn uainn an t-ómós atá tuillte ag altraí na hÉireann a léiriú le pá cothrom, coinníollacha maithe agus ionaid oibre sábháilte. Mar sin a choinneoimid altraí ag obair agus ag fanacht in Éirinn.

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