As the Taoiseach is well aware, there is an understaffing of front-line nurses across all our hospitals and the current staff are under severe pressure. University Hospital Kerry in Tralee, Cork University Hospital and Killarney district hospital are all understaffed and that position is replicated throughout the country. The HSE has spent €250,000 advertising to attract nurses back home from abroad. A total of 88 returned home but more than half of those have emigrated again. What will the Taoiseach and the Government do to attract nurses to return home to provide a full complement of staff in all our hospitals? Does the Taoiseach know how much of a problem this is, the difficulties it is causing and the pressure the current staff are under? I ask him to act to attract nurses back into the workforce as they are urgently needed.

This is a matter the Minister keeps under review. It is obviously a personal choice at the end of the day as to whether nurses wish to work in the Irish system, to work abroad or to return home from abroad. All those who have graduated are now being offered permanent contracts. A number of nurses have returned home. This is a very competitive area, particularly in countries where no tax is payable by those who work there, and many choose to go abroad for a number of years to gain experience and so on. I would make the point that the Public Service Pay Commission makes reference to sectoral pay in its remit and that is a matter that will be considered by it when it reflects on this particular area.